Osteoprotegrin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK) and RANK ligand (RANKL) are signal transducers which have pleiotropic actions. Each tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member has unique structural attributes which directly couples them to signalling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Previous studies have clinically linked OPG, RA...

BACKGROUND Peritoneal calcification (PC) is a specific finding in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), but its prevalence, risk factors, and impacts in PD patients remain unclear. The present study investigated these issues and provided information useful for the management of PC. METHODS The study included 183 PD patients. The severity of PC was determined using abdominal computed t...

Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J. Sm. (DF), a Chinese herb commonly used for the treatment of bone fracture, was previously shown to exert anabolic effects on bone. However, its active ingredients as well as the mechanisms of action are far from clear. The present study aimed to characterise the bone anabolic effects of DF flavonoid fraction (DFTF) in ovariectomised (OVX) mice and to determine if DF...

Bone remodeling is the continuous process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts, in order to maintain homeostasis. The activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts is regulated by a network of signaling pathways, including Wnt, parathyroid hormone (PTH), RANK ligand/osteoprotegrin, and TGF-β, in response to stimuli, such as mechanical loading. During aging there is a gr...

PURPOSE Osteoprotegrin (OPG) and OPG-ligand are involved in bone turnover induced by parathyroid hormone (PTH) in renal osteodystrophy. We determined serum OPG level in dialysis patients and checked its correlations with other parameters of bone turnover. MATERIAL AND METHODS Serum level of OPG, PTH, phosphates (Pi), calcium, total alkaline phosphatase (AP) and pH was determined in 29 periton...

Normal hearing requires exquisite cooperation between bony and sensorineural structures within the cochlea. For example, the inner ear secretes proteins such as osteoprotegrin (OPG) that can prevent cochlear bone remodeling. Accordingly, diseases that affect bone regulation can also result in hearing loss. Patients with fibrous dysplasia develop trabecular bone overgrowth resulting in hearing l...

Herba epimedii (HEP) is one of the most frequently used herbs prescribed for treatment of osteoporosis in China. In the present study, the in vivo effects of HEP extract on bone metabolism were evaluated using 4-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (Sham) female Sprague-Dawley rats orally administered with HEP extract (110 mg kgd), 17ss-estrogen (2 mg kgd) or its vehicle for 3 months...

Wang, Liming, Shiguang Liu, L. Darryl Quarles, and Robert F. Spurney. Targeted overexpression of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 in osteoblasts promotes bone loss. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 288: E826–E834, 2005. First published December 7, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00422.2004.—To investigate the role of G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) in regulating bone formation in vivo, we o...