Prevention of Hypomineralization In Auditory Ossicles of Vitamin D Receptor (Vdr) Deficient Mice

Intact mineralization of the auditory ossicles - the smallest bones in the body - is essential for sound transmission in the middle ear, while ossicular hypomineralization is associated with conductive hearing loss. Here, we performed a high-resolution analysis of the ossicles in vitamin D receptor deficient mice ( ), which are characterized by hypocalcemia and skeletal mineralization defects, and investigated whether local hypomineralization can be prevented by feeding a calcium-rich rescue diet ( ). In mice fed a regular diet ( ), quantitative backscattered electron imaging (qBEI) revealed an increased void volume (porosity, p<0.0001) along with lower mean calcium content (CaMean, p=0.0008) and higher heterogeneity of mineralization (CaWidth, p=0.003) compared to WT mice. Furthermore, a higher osteoid volume per bone volume (OV/BV; p=0.0002) and a higher osteocyte lacunar area (Lc.Ar; p=0.01) were found in histomorphometric analysis in mice. In mice, full rescue of OV/BV and Lc.Ar (both p>0.05 vs. WT) and partial rescue of porosity and CaWidth (p=0.02 and p=0.04 vs. WT) were observed. Compared with mice, a model of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets, mice showed a lower osteoid volume in the ossicles (p=0.0002), but similar values in the lumbar spine. These results are consistent with later postnatal impairment of mineral homeostasis in mice than in mice, underscoring the importance of intact mineral homeostasis for ossicle mineralization during development. In conclusion, we revealed a distinct phenotype of hypomineralization in the auditory ossicles of mice that can be partially prevented by a rescue diet. Since a positive effect of a calcium-rich diet on ossicular mineralization was demonstrated, our results open new treatment strategies for conductive hearing loss. Future studies should investigate the impact of improved ossicular mineralization on hearing function.