Food bioactives and bone metabolism

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Bone tissue begins to deteriorate as the body's ability to produce estrogen and testosterone is compromised with aging. Food bioactives, naturally present in foods such as flaxseed and fish oil, may help preserve normal bone cell function during aging. Food bioactives of particular interest to bone cell metabolism include lignans from flaxseed, and omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed and fish oil. Flaxseed lignans can have biological activity similar to estrogen that our bodies naturally produce. Diets that contain higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve markers of bone status. The goal of the proposed research program is to determine if these food bioactives provide added benefits when provided with current pharmacological agents that help stabilize bone cell activity when it becomes unbalanced during aging. Pharmacological agents of interest include low dose estrogen (at a much lower dose than traditional estrogen therapy that is associated with elevated risk of developing breast cancer and heart disease), and selective estrogen or androgen receptor modulators that have positive effects on bone cell regulation without adverse effects in non-bone tissues. Studies will be conducted using well-established rat models that simulate the physiological changes in bone metabolism that occur in men and women during aging. Food bioactives in combination with pharmacological agents will be provided using these rat models. Findings from this research program may lead to the development of strategies that combine food bioactives and current pharmacological agents to more effectively normalize bone cell metabolism during aging. And specific mechanisms of action in bone cell metabolism will be determined.