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Endocrine Abstracts (2018) 59 OC5.6 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.59.OC5.6

SFEBES2018 Oral Communications Adrenal (6 abstracts)

Therapeutic glucocorticoids prevent local and systemic bone loss in the TNF-tg model of chronic inflammatory disease

Chloe Fenton 1, , Syeda Fareed 2 , Amy Naylor 1 , Dominika Nanus 1 , Mark Cooper 3 , Karim Raza 1 , Gareth Lavery 2 & Rowan Hardy 1,


1Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; 2Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; 3ANZAK Research Facility, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.


Both therapeutic glucocorticoids (GCs) and chronic inflammation are powerful inducers of systemic bone loss, resulting in osteoporosis and increased morbidity. Whilst GCs suppress inflammation, it is unclear how these factors interact to determine net bone metabolism. We investigated the balance between osteo-protective and osteo-destructive properties of GCs in the TNF-tg model of chronic inflammatory disease. Wild-type (WT) and TNF-tg mice were treated with corticosterone (100 mg/ml) for three weeks. Tibias were assessed by micro-CT and RT-PCR. Markers of bone metabolism were measured by serum ELISA. Corticosterone potently suppressed markers of inflammation and synovitis in TNF-tg mice. Whilst inflammation in the TNF-tg mouse resulted in a significant decrease in trabecular bone relative to WT animals, TNF-tg mice receiving corticosterone possessed a marked protection from inflammatory bone loss, with significantly greater BV/TV and Tb.N relative to untreated controls (BV/TV: TNF-tg 2.19%±0.2 vs TNF-tg CORT 4.25%±0.2, P≤0.001; Tb.N: TNF-tg 0.0004 1/μm±0.00009 vs TNF-tg CORT 0.0008 1/μm±0.00003, P≤0.001). Serum markers of bone resorption did not change across groups, however a significant reduction in juxta-articular osteoclasts was observed in TNF-tg mice receiving corticosterone relative to untreated controls. Although WT and TNF-tg mice receiving corticosterone did not develop a significant level of bone loss by micro-CT, we observed a significant reduction in mature osteoblast markers OSC and ALP and the serum marker of bone formation ‘P1NP’ in both WT and TNF-tg animals receiving corticosterone relative to untreated controls, (WT 494.2 ng/ml ±61.1 vs WT CORT 31.4 ng/ml ±7.4, P≤0.001; TNF 269.7 ng/ml ±38.4 vs TNF-tg CORT 32.3 ng/ml ±4.2, P≤0.001). These data indicate that whilst therapeutic GCs suppress bone formation, they ultimately protect bone from inflammatory osteoporosis by suppressing osteoclast mediated bone resorption in vivo.

Volume 59

Society for Endocrinology BES 2018

Glasgow, UK
19 Nov 2018 - 21 Nov 2018

Society for Endocrinology 

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