Intrinsic material properties of cortical bone.

The G171V mutation (high bone mass, HBM) is autosomal dominant and is responsible for high bone mass in humans. Transgenic HBM mice in which the human LRP5 G171V gene is inserted also show a similar phenotype with greater bone mass and biomechanical performance than wild-type mice, as determined by whole bone testing. Whole bone mechanics, however, depend jointly on bone mass, architecture, and intrinsic bone tissue mechanical properties. To determine whether the HBM mutation affects tissue-level biomechanical performance, we performed nano-indentation testing of unembedded cortical bone from HBM mice and their nontransgenic (NTG) littermates. Femora from 17-week-old mice (female, 8 mice/genotype) were subjected to nano-indentation using a Triboscope (Hysitron, Minneapolis, MN, USA). For each femoral specimen, approximately 10 indentations were made on the midshaft anterior surface with a target force of either 3 or 9 mN at a constant loading rate of 400 mN/s. The load-displacement data from each test were used to calculate indentation modulus and hardness for bone tissue. The intrinsic material property that reflected the bone modulus was greater (48%) in the HBM as compared to the NTG mice. Our results of intrinsic properties are consistent with the published structural and material properties of the midshaft femur in HBM and NTG mice. The greater intrinsic modulus in HBM reflects greater bone mineral content as compared to NTG (wild-type, WT) mice. This study suggests that the greater intrinsic property of cortical bone is derived from the greater bone mineral content and BMD, resulting in greater bone strength in HBM as compared to NTG (WT) mice.

Linkage mapping of femoral material properties in a reciprocal intercross of HcB-8 and HcB-23 recombinant mouse strains.

Skeletal fragility is an important health problem with a large genetic component. We performed a 603 animal F2 reciprocal intercross of the recombinant congenic strains HcB-8 and HcB-23 to genetically map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for tissue-level femoral biomechanical performance. These included elastic and post-yield strain, Young's modulus, elastic and maximum stress, and toughness and were calculated from 3-point bend testing of femora by the application of standard beam equations. We mapped these with R/qtl and QTL Cartographer and established significance levels empirically by permutation testing. Significant QTLs for at least one trait are present on chromosomes 1, 6, and 10 in the full F2 population, with additional QTLs evident in subpopulations defined by sex and cross direction. On chromosome 10, we find a QTL for post-yield strain and toughness, phenotypes that have not been mapped previously. Notably, the HcB-8 allele at this QTL increases post-yield strain and toughness, but decreases bone mineral density (BMD), while the material property QTLs on chromosomes 1, 6, and at a second chromosome 10 QTL are independent of BMD. We find significant sex x QTL and cross direction x QTL interactions. A robust, pleiotropic chromosome 4 QTL that we previously reported at the whole-bone level showed no evidence of linkage at the tissue-level, supporting our interpretation that modeling capacity is its primary phenotype. Our data demonstrate an inverse relationship between femoral perimeter and Young's modulus, with R(2)=0.27, supporting the view that geometric and material bone properties are subject to an integrated set of regulatory mechanisms. Mapping QTLs for tissue-level biomechanical performance advances understanding of the genetic basis of bone quality.

Quantitative trait loci for biomechanical performance and femoral geometry in an intercross of recombinant congenic mice: restriction of the Bmd7 candidate interval.

Despite steady progress in identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for bone phenotypes, relatively little progress has been made in moving from QTLs to identifying the relevant gene. We exploited the genetic structure of recombinant congenic mouse strains by performing a reciprocal intercross of the strains HcB-8 and HcB-23, phenotyped for body size, femoral biomechanical performance, and femoral diaphyseal geometry and mapped with R/qtl and QTL Cartographer. Significant QTLs are present on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10. We found significant sex x QTL and cross-direction x QTL interactions. The chromosome 4 QTL affects multiple femoral anatomic features and biomechanical properties. The known segregating segment of chromosome 4 contains only 18 genes, among which Ece1, encoding endothelin-converting enzyme 1, stands out as a candidate. Endothelin signaling has been shown to promote the growth of osteoblastic metastases and to potentiate signaling via the Wnt pathway. The colocalizing chromosome 4 QTL Bmd7 (for bone mineral density 7) increases responsiveness to mechanical loading. By exploiting the short informative segment of chromosome 4 and the known biology, we propose that Ece1 is the gene responsible for Bmd7 and that it acts by increasing responsiveness to mechanical loading through modulation of Wnt signaling.

Dental phenotype of the col1a2(oim) mutation: DI is present in both homozygotes and heterozygotes.

Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) is a common but variable feature of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The Col1a2(oim) mutation (oim) is a well-studied mouse model of chain deficiency OI. Heterozygous oim/+ mice have subtle skeletal fragility, while homozygous oim/oim mice have marked skeletal fragility. To further define the consequences of oim mutation, we examined teeth by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dental phenotype in Col1a2(oim) (oim) mice is more severe in incisors than in molars and includes changes in pulp chamber size, tooth shape, and dentin ultrastructure. Teeth in oim/oim animals are clinically fragile, while oim/+ teeth are grossly normal. Incisor pulp chamber areas (in mum(2)) are: upper +/+ = 358 +/- 75, lower +/+ = 671 +/- 162, upper oim/+ = 161 +/- 54, lower oim/+ = 156 +/- 19, upper oim/oim = 6900 +/- 1040, and lower oim/oim = 66 +/- 62 (P < 10(-5)). Incisor non-pulp chamber cross-sectional areas (in mum(2)), reflecting dentin areas, are: upper +/+ = 39,000 +/- 1670, lower +/+ = 35,600 +/- 1980, upper oim/+ = 47,500 +/- 2510, lower oim/+ = 26,000 +/- 1830, upper oim/oim = 29,800 + 315, and lower oim/oim = 36,800 +/- 3450 (P < 10(-5)). Ultrastructural abnormalities are more pronounced in incisors than in molars and depend on dosage of the mutant allele. These include reduction in the number and regularity of spacing of the dentinal tubules, lesser mineralization, and blurring of the boundary between peritubular and intertubular dentin. Our findings demonstrate that both oim/oim and oim/+ mice suffer from DI. The more severe incisor phenotype may reflect incisors' continuous growth.

Accuracy and precision of PIXImus densitometry for ex vivo mouse long bones: comparison of technique and software version.

Many densitometric studies in mice assess bone mineral density (BMD) at specified regions of interest, often using ex vivo specimens. In the present study, we sought to determine the precision and accuracy of ex vivo densitometry of mouse bones, comparing two software versions and two data acquisition techniques. The newer software allows manual adjustment of the threshold value for bone, improving the ability to analyze bone edges correctly. Root mean square standard deviations were 2-3 mg/cm2, with coefficients of variation ranging between 3% and 5% for femora and humeri and between 6% and 7% for radii. The regression coefficients for bone mineral content as a function of ash mass were near 1 for femora and humeri, but considerably lower for radii. Coefficients of determination were inversely related to bone size, with R2 values exceeding 0.9 at the femur, 0.8 at the humerus, and ranging between 0.3 and 0.6 at the radius. We found that our instrument has a position artifact, with BMD and bone mineral content dependent on the specimen's coordinates in the scanned field. Our findings establish the limitations of ex vivo densitometry with the PIXImus and support our recommendation that investigators seek position artifacts in their instruments.