Genetically Linked Site-Specificity of Disuse Osteoporosis

ABSTRACT: The genetic influence on bone loss in response to mechanical unloading was investigated within diaphyseal and distal femoral regions in three genetically distinct strains of mice. One mouse strain failed to lose bone after removal of function, whereas osteopenia was evident in multiple regions of the remaining two strains but in different areas of the bone. Introduction: It is well recognized that susceptibility to osteoporosis is, in large measure, determined by the genome, but whether this influence is systemic or site-specific is not yet known. Here, the extent to which genetic variations influence regional bone loss caused by disuse was studied in the femora of adult female mice from three inbred strains. Materials and Methods: Adult C57BL/6J (B6), C3H/HeJ (C3H), and BALB/cByJ (BALB) mice were subjected t