Regulation of Bone mass in Myostatin Deficient Mice

描述（申请人的逐字描述）： 拟议的学术研究促进奖是调查的影响， 肌肉力量对骨量的影响。具体来说，这项研究 评估多个工作假设的影响，增加 活动水平上的肌肉质量，骨横截面几何形状，骨量， 矿物含量和显微结构。这些假设是通过比较 小鼠之间的运动活动、生长激素水平和骨结构 缺乏生长和分化因子-8（肌生长抑制素）和野生型 对照肌生长抑制素是骨骼肌生长的负调节因子 和肌生长抑制素缺失小鼠显示肌纤维大小和数量加倍 与正常小鼠相比。导致发病的主要因素 骨质疏松症是骨质流失。一种预防和治疗方法， 最大限度地减少生活中骨丢失的潜在灾难性影响， 通过增加肌肉力量来增加峰值骨量。拟议的研究，由 严格评估肌肉质量增加对骨强度的影响 在出生后的成长过程中， 了解产生和维持 健康的骨骼结构。这一提升奖还将吸引 来自麦克奈尔肯特州立大学两个项目的本科生 学者和俄亥俄州董事会的明星计划，在指导骨生物学 research.因此，拟议项目将提供新的培训 为传统上代表性不足的学生提供机会， 生物医学研究界。

DESCRIPTION (Verbatim from the Applicant): The primary objective of the proposed Academic Research Enhancement Award is to investigate the influence of muscle strength on bone mass using a new mouse model. Specifically, this study evaluates multiple working hypotheses concerning the effects of increased muscle mass on activity level, bone cross-sectional geometry, bone mass, mineral content, and microstructure. These hypotheses are tested by comparing locomotor activity, growth hormone levels, and bone structure between mice deficient in growth and differentiation factor-8 (myostatin) and wild-type controls. Myostatin functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and myostatin null mice show a doubling of muscle fiber size and number compared to normal mice. The primary factor leading to the onset of osteoporosis is bone loss. One preventative and therapeutic approach for minimizing the potentially disastrous affects of bone loss during life is to increase peak bone mass by increasing muscle strength. The proposed study, by critically evaluating the effects of increased muscle mass on bone strength during postnatal growth, will expand significantly upon our current understanding of the mechanisms important for generating and maintaining healthy bone structure in adults. This enhancement award will also engage undergraduate students from two programs at Kent State University, the McNair Scholars and Ohio Board of Regents STARS programs, in mentored bone biology research. The proposed project will therefore provide new training opportunities for students from populations traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical research community.