IGF-I Increases Markers of Osteoblastic Activity and Reduces Bone Resorption Via Osteoprotegerin and RANK-ligand

Background: Bone is one of the major target tissues for Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-I). Low doses of IGF-I were able to improve liver-associated osteopenia. In the present work, a model of partial IGF-I deficiency was used in order to provide insight into the mechanisms of the beneficial actions of IGF-I replacement therapy in bone.

Methods: Several proteins involved in osteoblastic/osteocyte and osteoclastic differentiation and activity were studied in the three experimental groups: control (CO) group (wild type mice, Igf+/+, n=10), heterozygous Igf+/- group with partial IGF-I deficiency (Hz, n=10), and heterozygous Igf+/- mice treated with IGF-I for 10 days (Hz+IGF-I, n=10).

Results: Data in this paper confirm that the simple partial IGF-I deficiency is responsible for osteopenia, determined by densitometry and histopathology. These findings are associated with a reduced gene expression of osteoprotegerin, sclerostin, calcitonin receptor (CTR), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 and RUNX2. IGF-I replacement therapy normalized CTR gene expression and reduced markers of osteoclastic activity.

Conclusions: Low doses of IGF-I constituted a real replacement therapy that normalized IGF-I serum levels improving the expression of most of these proteins closely involved in bone-forming, and reducing bone resorption by mechanisms related to osteoprotegerin, RANKL and PTH receptor.