scholarly journals GPR30 Estrogen Receptor Expression in the Growth Plate Declines as Puberty Progresses

2007 ◽  
Vol 92 (12) ◽  
pp. 4873-4877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei S. Chagin ◽  
Lars Sävendahl

Abstract Objective: Our objective was to study whether GPR30 is expressed in the epiphyseal growth plate and its potential role as a modulator of pubertal growth. Background: Estrogens play a crucial role in the regulation of skeletal maturation and longitudinal bone growth. We have previously shown that both estrogen receptors (ERs) α and β are expressed in the human epiphyseal growth plate. Recently, a membrane-bound ER referred to as GPR30 was discovered, but the role played by this receptor in the regulation of longitudinal bone growth is not yet known. Patients/Methods: Biopsies were collected from the tibial growth plates of 14 boys and seven girls that underwent epiphyseal surgery to arrest longitudinal bone growth. The patients were in different stages of puberty and suffered from inequality in leg length or extreme tall stature. Paraffin-embedded sections of the growth plates were used to detect expression of the GPR30 protein. Results: The highest level of GPR30 expression was observed in hypertrophic chondrocytes, although cells with positive immunostaining were also detected in the resting zone. In contrast, no immunoreactivity was found in the proliferative zone. During pubertal progression there was a clear decline in the level of GPR30 expression in both boys and girls. Conclusions: The novel ER GPR30 is expressed in the human growth plate, and the level of expression declines during pubertal progression. Although a relationship between GPR30 expression and age may underlie the observed pubertal decline in the GPR30 level, our observations suggest that this receptor could be involved in the modulation of longitudinal bone growth during puberty.


1992 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. S19-S25 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Montufar-Solis ◽  
P. J. Duke ◽  
G. Durnova

Growth plate histomorphometry of rats flown aboard the Soviet biosatellite COSMOS 2044, a 14-day spaceflight, was compared with that of control groups. In growth plates of flight animals, there was a significant increase in cell number per column and height of the proliferative zone and a reduction in height and cell number in the hypertrophy/calcification zone. No significant differences were found in matrix organization at the ultrastructural level of flight animals, indicating that although spaceflight continues to affect bone growth of 15-wk-old rats, extracellular matrix is not altered in the same manner as seen previously in younger animals. All groups showed growth plate characteristics attributed to aging: lack of calcification zone, reduced hypertrophy zone, and unraveling of collagen fibrils. Tail-suspended controls did not differ from other controls in any of the parameters measured. Our results suggest that growth plates of older rats are less responsive to unloading by spaceflight or suspension than those of younger rats and provide new evidence about the modifying effect of spaceflight on the growth plate.



Endocrinology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (4) ◽  
pp. 1423-1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongzhi Sun ◽  
Weijin Zang ◽  
Bo Zhou ◽  
Lin Xu ◽  
Shufang Wu

Abstract Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is produced by the adrenal cortex and is the most abundant steroid in humans. Although in some physiological and pathological conditions the increased secretion of DHEA and its sulfated form is associated with accelerated growth rate and skeletal maturation, it is unclear whether DHEA can affect longitudinal bone growth and skeletal maturation by acting directly at the growth plate. In our study, DHEA suppressed metatarsal growth, growth plate chondrocyte proliferation, and hypertrophy/differentiation. In addition, DHEA increased the number of apoptotic chondrocytes in the growth plate. In cultured chondrocytes, DHEA reduced chondrocyte proliferation and induced apoptosis. The DHEA-induced inhibition of metatarsal growth and growth plate chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy/differentiation was nullified by culturing metatarsals with DHEA in the presence of ICI 182,780, an inhibitor of estrogen receptor, but not in the presence of Casodex, an inhibitor of androgen receptor. Lastly, nuclear factor-κB DNA binding activity was inhibited by the addition of DHEA in the medium of cultured chondrocyte. Our findings indicate that DHEA suppressed bone growth by acting directly at growth plate through estrogen receptor. Such growth inhibition is mediated by decreased chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy/differentiation and by increased chondrocyte apoptosis.



2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (11) ◽  
pp. E1381-E1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Börjesson ◽  
S. H. Windahl ◽  
E. Karimian ◽  
E. E. Eriksson ◽  
M. K. Lagerquist ◽  
...  

High estradiol levels in late puberty induce growth plate closure and thereby cessation of growth in humans. In mice, the growth plates do not fuse after sexual maturation, but old mice display reduced longitudinal bone growth and high-dose estradiol treatment induces growth plate closure. Estrogen receptor (ER)-α stimulates gene transcription via two activation functions (AFs), AF-1 and AF-2. To evaluate the role of ERα and its AF-1 for age-dependent reduction in longitudinal bone growth and growth plate closure, female mice with inactivation of ERα (ERα−/−) or ERαAF-1 (ERαAF-10) were evaluated. Old (16- to 19-mo-old) female ERα−/− mice showed continued substantial longitudinal bone growth, resulting in longer bones (tibia: +8.3%, P < 0.01) associated with increased growth plate height (+18%, P < 0.05) compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In contrast, the longitudinal bone growth ceased in old ERαAF-10 mice (tibia: −4.9%, P < 0.01). Importantly, the proximal tibial growth plates were closed in all old ERαAF-10 mice while they were open in all WT mice. Growth plate closure was associated with a significantly altered balance between chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis in the growth plate. In conclusion, old female ERα−/− mice display a prolonged and enhanced longitudinal bone growth associated with increased growth plate height, resembling the growth phenotype of patients with inactivating mutations in ERα or aromatase. In contrast, ERαAF-1 deletion results in a hyperactive ERα, altering the chondrocyte proliferation/apoptosis balance, leading to growth plate closure. This suggests that growth plate closure is induced by functions of ERα that do not require AF-1 and that ERαAF-1 opposes growth plate closure.



Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (11) ◽  
pp. 2119-2129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malika Sahni ◽  
Regina Raz ◽  
J. Douglas Coffin ◽  
David Levy ◽  
Claudio Basilico

Unregulated FGF receptor signaling results in bone malformations that affect both endochondral and intramembranous ossification, and is the basis for several genetic forms of human dwarfism. FGF signaling inhibits chondrocyte proliferation and we have previously shown that the transcription factor STAT1 mediates the growth inhibitory effect of FGF in vitro. We provide genetic evidence that STAT1 is a modulator of the negative regulation of bone growth by FGF in vivo. We crossed Stat1−/− mice with a transgenic mouse line overexpressing human FGF2 (TgFGF). TgFGF mice exhibit phenotypes characterized by chondrodysplasia and macrocephaly, which affect endochondral and intramembranous ossification. We found that the chondrodysplasic phenotype of these mice results both from reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis of growth plate chondrocytes. Loss of STAT1 function in TgFGF mice led to a significant correction of the chondrodysplasic phenotype, but did not affect the skull malformations. The reduced proliferation of TgFGF growth plate chondrocytes, as well as their excessive apoptosis, were restored to near-normal levels in the absence of STAT1 function. Unregulated FGF signaling in TgFGF mice also induced apoptosis in calvarial osteoblasts that was not, however, corrected by the absence of STAT1. Detailed analysis of Stat1−/− growth plates uncovered a transient phenotype, characterized by an expansion of the proliferative zone and by acceleration of longitudinal bone growth, that attenuated as the animals grew older. These results document an essential role for STAT1 in FGF-mediated regulation of cell growth that is specific to the epiphyseal growth plate.



2005 ◽  
Vol 186 (1) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ola Nilsson ◽  
Robert D Mitchum ◽  
Lenneke Schrier ◽  
Sandra P Ferns ◽  
Kevin M Barnes ◽  
...  

The overall body size of vertebrates is primarily determined by longitudinal bone growth at the growth plate. With age, the growth plate undergoes programmed senescence, causing longitudinal bone growth to slow and eventually cease. Indirect evidence suggests that growth plate senescence occurs because stem-like cells in the growth plate resting zone have a finite proliferative capacity that is gradually exhausted. Similar limits on replication have been observed when many types of animal cells are placed in cell culture, an effect known as the Hayflick phenomenon. However, we found that the number of population doublings of rabbit resting zone chondrocytes in culture did not depend on the age of the animal from which the cells were harvested, suggesting that the mechanisms limiting replicative capacity of growth plate chondrocytes in vivo are distinct from those in vitro. We also observed that the level of DNA methylation in resting zone chondrocytes decreased with age in vivo. This loss of methylation appeared to occur specifically with the slow proliferation of resting zone chondrocytes in vivo and was not observed with the rapid proliferation of proliferative zone chondrocytes in vivo (i.e. the level of DNA methylation did not change from the resting zone to the hypertrophic zone), with proliferation of chondrocytes in vitro, or with growth of the liver in vivo. Thus, the overall level of DNA methylation decreases during growth plate senescence. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the mechanism limiting replication of growth plate chondrocytes in vivo involves loss of DNA methylation and, thus, loss of DNA methylation might be a fundamental biological mechanism that limits longitudinal bone growth in mammals, thereby determining the overall adult size of the organism.





2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. e518101422159
Author(s):  
Deise Ponzoni ◽  
Elissa Kerli Fernandes ◽  
Mateus Muller da Silva ◽  
Izabel Cristina Custódio de Souza ◽  
John Kim Neubert ◽  
...  

Bisphosphonates (BIS) are indicated for several clinical disorders (e.g., osteoporosis). However, BIS has been associated with osteonecrosis and alterations in osteoclastogenesis and skeletal development. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of BIS (zoledronic acid - ZA and alendronate sodium - AS) on zones of the growth plate of rat femur. Animals (Wistar rats, n = 19) were divided into groups: 1) AS Group: animals received alendronate sodium orally (3 mg/kg per day); 2) ZA Group: ZA was administered intraperitoneally (0.2 mg/kg per week); and 3) Control Group (CG): a vehicle was administered. Animals were euthanized 21 days after the treatment, and femurs were collected for histological analysis. The images of all zones (resting, proliferative, hypertrophic, and calcified) were processed by the Qcapture® software providing a 40 and 400-fold increase.  ZA decreased epiphyseal growth plate cell zones (ZA Group vs. CG) in most cases. Likewise, AS diminished the proliferative zone (AS Group vs. CG). Furthermore, ZA increased the calcified zone (ZA Group vs. CG). Previous works demonstrated that BIS decrease the epiphyseal disc. This reduction is probably due to the shortening of the cellular zones that undergoes calcification/ossification. The present results suggest that BIS should be carefully indicated because these drugs might accelerate epiphyseal closure.



Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 149 (4) ◽  
pp. 1820-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Marino ◽  
Anita Hegde ◽  
Kevin M. Barnes ◽  
Lenneke Schrier ◽  
Joyce A. Emons ◽  
...  

Catch-up growth is defined as a linear growth rate greater than expected for age after a period of growth inhibition. We hypothesized that catch-up growth occurs because growth-inhibiting conditions conserve the limited proliferative capacity of growth plate chondrocytes, thus slowing the normal process of growth plate senescence. When the growth-inhibiting condition resolves, the growth plates are less senescent and therefore grow more rapidly than normal for age. To test this hypothesis, we administered propylthiouracil to newborn rats for 8 wk to induce hypothyroidism and then stopped the propylthiouracil to allow catch-up growth. In untreated controls, the growth plates underwent progressive, senescent changes in multiple functional and structural characteristics. We also identified genes that showed large changes in mRNA expression in growth plate and used these changes as molecular markers of senescence. In treated animals, after stopping propylthiouracil, these functional, structural, and molecular senescent changes were delayed, compared with controls. This delayed senescence included a delayed decline in longitudinal growth rate, resulting in catch-up growth. The findings demonstrate that growth inhibition due to hypothyroidism slows the developmental program of growth plate senescence, including the normal decline in the rate of longitudinal bone growth, thus accounting for catch-up growth.





2019 ◽  
Vol 197 (2) ◽  
pp. 522-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Ma ◽  
Shuang Liu ◽  
Tingting Qiao ◽  
Demin Li ◽  
Ruixue Zhang ◽  
...  


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