Genetic determination of the cellular basis of the ghrelin-dependent bone remodeling

OBJECTIVE Bone mass is maintained through a balance of bone formation and resorption. This homeostatic balance is regulated by various systems involving humoral and local factors. The discovery that the anorexigenic hormone leptin regulates bone mass via neuronal pathways revealed that neurons and neuropeptides are intimately involved in bone homeostasis. Ghrelin is a stomach-derived orexigenic hormone that counteracts leptin's action. However, the physiological role of ghrelin in bone homeostasis remains unknown. In this study, through the global knockout of ghrelin receptor (Ghsr) followed by tissue-specific re-expression, we addressed the molecular basis of the action of ghrelin in bone remodeling in vivo. METHODS We performed molecular, genetic and cell biological analyses of Ghsr-null mice and Ghsr-null mice with tissue specific Ghsr restoration. Furthermore, we evaluated the molecular mechanism of ghrelin by molecular and cell-based assays. RESULTS Ghsr-null mice showed a low bone mass phenotype with poor bone formation. Restoring the expression of Ghsr specifically in osteoblasts, and not in osteoclasts or the central nervous system, ameliorated bone abnormalities in Ghsr-null mice. Cell-based assays revealed ghrelin induced the phosphorylation of CREB and the expression of Runx2, which in turn accelerated osteoblast differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that ghrelin regulates bone remodeling through Ghsr in osteoblasts by modulating the CREB and Runx2 pathways.