Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low peak bone mass leading to higher fragility where fractures occur after minimal trauma. Therefore, of considerable importance in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are studies that focus on understanding the mechanisms regulating bone accretion during critical windows in time when rapid bone accretion takes place. To this end, our studies involving genetic mouse models that are deficient in thyroid hormone (TH) and/or growth hormone (GH) action have provided unequivocal evidence that there is an important window of time, prior to puberty, when the effects of GH are surprisingly small and TH plays a critical role in the regulation of skeletal growth. Therefore, studies on the mechanism by which TH regulates skeletal growth during the unique window in time during the prepubertal growth period may have future ramifications concerning strategies to increase peak bone mass in children with growth disorders. Our studies during the past grant period have provided for the first time irrevocable evidence that the rapid increase in TH levels that occur during the second week of postnatal life is obligatory for the initiation and progression of secondary ossification center (SOC) in mice. Our studies also have led to an unexpected discovery that TH treatment causes several-fold increase in osterix (Osx) expression in chondrocytes in vitro and that Osx mRNA levels were severely compromised in bones of TH deficient mice compared to control mice. Based on these and other data, we propose a novel mechanism that several fold elevated levels of TH during second week of prepuberal growth period promotes conversion of chondrocytes in the SOC into bone matrix producing chondroblast/osteoblast cells via Osx-dependent mehcanism and thereby initiate bone formation. To determine the mechanism and role of TH-induced Osx in regulating endochondral ossification at the SOC, we propose to test the following 3 hypotheses in this continuation grant application. To test hypothesis 1 that TH regulates Osx expression in vivo during prepubertal growth period, we will evaluate the effect of TH treatment on expression of Osx in SOC using a TH deficient mouse model that expresses GFP:Cre under the control of Osx promoter. To test hypothesis 2 that TH-induced increase in Osx expression is a key determinant in SOC, we will evaluate the skeletal phenotype of tamoxifen-inducible cartilage-specific Osx knockout mice that have been made hypothyroid and treated with TH or vehicle during prepubertal growth period. To test hypothesis 3 that TH effect on Osx gene expression is mediated via binding of TR?1 to novel transcriptional element/s within the Osx promoter, we will identify the TH regultaory region and perform ChIP and EMSA. Because of the established importance of TH in regulating skeletal growth in both humans and experimental animals, the confirmation of our hypothesis that TH is indispensable for bone formation at SOC and that TH effects on bone are mediated via upregulation of Osx expression in chondrocytes, could lead to the development of effective therapies, based on TH action, to treat children with growth disorders during a window in time when rapid growth occurs.

Public Health Relevance

This study will test a novel hypothesis that thyroid hormone-induced increase in osterix expression in epiphyseal chondrocytes leads to transdifferentiation of chondrocytes into bone matrix producing chondro/osteoblasts and, thereby, initiates endochondral ossification at the secondary ossification centers during the prepubertal growth period when thyroid hormone levels are elevated. Human clinical studies and transgenic mouse studies have established that thyroid hormone is an extremely important molecule in the regulation of the bone formation process. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanism by which epiphyseal chondrocytes are converted into chondro/osteoblasts could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies to heal non-union fractures by promoting conversion of chondrocytes at the fracture site into chondro/osteoblasts so that fracture healing can occur at a faster pace as in the case of secondary ossification centers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AR048139-09
Application #
8712106
Study Section
Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration Study Section (SBSR)
Program Officer
Chen, Faye H
Project Start
2001-12-01
Project End
2017-07-31
Budget Start
2014-08-01
Budget End
2015-07-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
$301,071
Indirect Cost
$80,571
Name
Loma Linda Veterans Assn Research & Education
Department
Type
DUNS #
606630762
City
Redlands
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92373
Lindsey, Richard C; Aghajanian, Patrick; Mohan, Subburaman (2018) Thyroid Hormone Signaling in the Development of the Endochondral Skeleton. Vitam Horm 106:351-381
Lindsey, Richard C; Rundle, Charles H; Mohan, Subburaman (2018) Role of IGF1 and EFN-EPH signaling in skeletal metabolism. J Mol Endocrinol 61:T87-T102
Cheng, Shaohong; Pourteymoor, Sheila; Alarcon, Catrina et al. (2017) Conditional Deletion of the Phd2 Gene in Articular Chondrocytes Accelerates Differentiation and Reduces Articular Cartilage Thickness. Sci Rep 7:45408
Sanchez, Cheryl P; Mohan, Subburaman (2017) Genetic Knockout and Rescue Studies in Mice Unravel Abnormal Phosphorus Threshold in Hypophosphatemic Rickets. Endocrinology 158:455-457
Cheng, Shaohong; Xing, Weirong; Pourteymoor, Sheila et al. (2016) Conditional Deletion of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain-Containing Protein 2 (Phd2) Gene Reveals Its Essential Role in Chondrocyte Function and Endochondral Bone Formation. Endocrinology 157:127-40
Lindsey, Richard C; Mohan, Subburaman (2016) Skeletal effects of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I therapy. Mol Cell Endocrinol 432:44-55
Cheng, Shaohong; Aghajanian, Patrick; Pourteymoor, Sheila et al. (2016) Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain-Containing Protein 2 (Phd2) Regulates Chondrocyte Differentiation and Secondary Ossification in Mice. Sci Rep 6:35748
Liu, Zhongbo; Mohan, Subburaman; Yakar, Shoshana (2016) Does the GH/IGF-1 axis contribute to skeletal sexual dimorphism? Evidence from mouse studies. Growth Horm IGF Res 27:7-17
Aghajanian, Patrick; Hall, Susan; Wongworawat, Montri D et al. (2015) The Roles and Mechanisms of Actions of Vitamin C in Bone: New Developments. J Bone Miner Res 30:1945-55
Mohan, Subburaman; Wergedal, Jon E; Das, Subhashri et al. (2015) Conditional disruption of miR17-92 cluster in collagen type I-producing osteoblasts results in reduced periosteal bone formation and bone anabolic response to exercise. Physiol Genomics 47:33-43

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