Explore the vast range of titles available.

We previously showed that Irisin, a myokine released from skeletal muscle after physical exercise, plays a central role in the control of bone mass. Here we report that treatment with recombinant Irisin prevented bone loss in hind-limb suspended mice when administered during suspension (preventive protocol) and induced recovery of bone mass when mice were injected after bone loss due to a suspension period of 4 weeks (curative protocol). MicroCT analysis of femurs showed that r-Irisin preserved both cortical and trabecular bone mineral density, and prevented a dramatic decrease of the trabecular bone volume fraction. Moreover, r-Irisin protected against muscle mass decline in the hind-limb suspended mice, and maintained the fiber cross-sectional area. Notably, the decrease of myosin type II expression in unloaded mice was completely prevented by r-Irisin administration. Our data reveal for the first time that Irisin retrieves disuse‐induced bone loss and muscle atrophy. These findings may lead to development of an Irisin-based therapy for elderly immobile osteoporotic and physically disable patients, and might represent a countermeasure for astronauts subjected to microgravity-induced bone and muscle losses.

Irisin, the circulating peptide originating from fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5), is mainly expressed by muscle fibers under peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α) control during exercise. In addition to several beneficial effects on health, physical activity positively affects nervous system functioning, particularly the hippocampus, resulting in amelioration of cognition impairments. Recently, FNDC5/irisin detection in hippocampal neurons and the presence of irisin in the cerebrospinal fluid opened a new intriguing chapter in irisin history. Interestingly, in the hippocampus of mice, exercise increases FNDC5 levels and upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. BDNF, displaying neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory effects, is mainly produced by microglia and astrocytes. In this review, we discuss how these glial cells can morphologically and functionally switch during neuroinflammation by modulating the expression of a plethora of neuroprotective or neurotoxic factors. We also focus on studies investigating the irisin role in neurodegenerative diseases (ND). The emerging involvement of irisin as a mediator of the multiple positive effects of exercise on the brain needs further studies to better deepen this issue and the potential use in therapeutic approaches for neuroinflammation and ND.

Periodontal disease (PD), or periodontitis, is defined as a bacterially induced disease of the tooth-supporting (periodontal) tissues. It is characterized by inflammation and bone loss; therefore understanding how they are linked would help to address the most efficacious therapeutic approach. Bacterial infection is the primary etiology but is not sufficient to induce the disease initiation or progression. Indeed, bacteria-derived factors stimulate a local inflammatory reaction and activation of the innate immune system. The innate response involves the recognition of microbial components by host cells, and this event is mediated by toll-like receptors (TLRs) expressed by resident cells and leukocytes. Activation of these cells leads to the release of proinflammatory cytokines and recruitment of phagocytes and lymphocytes. Activation of T and B cells initiates the adaptive immunity with Th1 Th2 Th17 Treg response and antibodies production respectively. In this inflammatory scenario, cytokines involved in bone regulation and maintenance have considerable relevance because tissue destruction is believed to be the consequence of host inflammatory response to the bacterial challenge. In the present review, we summarize host factors including cell populations, cytokines, and mechanisms involved in the destruction of the supporting tissues of the tooth and discuss treatment perspectives based on this knowledge.

It is unclear how physical activity stimulates new bone synthesis. We explored whether irisin, a newly discovered myokine released upon physical activity, displays anabolic actions on the skeleton. Young male mice were injected with vehicle or recombinant irisin (r-irisin) at a low cumulative weekly dose of 100 μg kg⁻¹. We observed significant increases in cortical bone mass and strength, notably in cortical tissue mineral density, periosteal circumference, polar moment of inertia, and bending strength. This anabolic action was mediated primarily through the stimulation of bone formation, but with parallel notable reductions in osteoclast numbers. The trabecular compartment of the same bones was spared, as were vertebrae from the same mice. Higher irisin doses (3,500 μg kg⁻¹ per week) cause browning of adipose tissue; this was not seen with low-dose r-irisin. Expectedly, low-dose r-irisin modulated the skeletal genes,OpnandSost,but notUcp1orPparγexpression in white adipose tissue. In bone marrow stromal cell cultures, r-irisin rapidly phosphorylated Erk, and up-regulatedAtf4, Runx2, Osx, Lrp5, β-catenin, Alp,andCol1a1; this is consistent with a direct receptor-mediated action to stimulate osteogenesis. We also noted that, although the irisin precursorFndc5was expressed abundantly in skeletal muscle, other sites, such as bone and brain, also expressedFndc5,albeit at low levels. Furthermore, muscle fibers from r-irisin–injected mice displayed enhanced Fndc5 positivity, and irisin inducedFdnc5mRNA expression in cultured myoblasts. Our data therefore highlight a previously unknown action of the myokine irisin, which may be the molecular entity responsible for muscle–bone connectivity.

Abstract Context Irisin is a hormonelike molecule that is cleaved and secreted by an unknown protease from fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5). It ameliorates bone status and muscle atrophy and influences energy homeostasis. PTH exerts several metabolic effects that may interact with the effects of irisin. Objectives To test the hypothesis that irisin and PTH mutually affect their biological action, we evaluated FNDC5 mRNA and protein expression in myotubes treated with PTH (1–34) and parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH-r) mRNA expression in osteoblasts treated with r-irisin. To confirm the in vivo impact of PTH on irisin, we compared irisin serum concentrations in postmenopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and control subjects. Design and Intervention C2C12 myotubes were treated with short-term and continuous 10−10 M teriparatide and MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts with 100 ng/mL r-irisin for 8 hours. In a cross-sectional open-label trial, we enrolled 26 postmenopausal women with PHPT and 31 age-/body mass index (BMI)‒matched control subjects without impairment of calcium/phosphate metabolism. Results Teriparatide treatment on myotubes significantly downregulated FNDC5 expression by acting through its own receptor, which in turn activated Erk11/2 phosphorylation. r-Irisin led to a 50% downregulation of PTH-r mRNA expression compared with untreated cells (P < 0.001). Irisin was significantly lower in the PHPT group than in age-/BMI-matched controls (4.5 ± 1.1 vs 12 ± 5.2 µg/mL; P < 0.001). No significant correlation between irisin and bone mineral density or PTH was recorded in the PHPT group. Conclusion Preclinical findings suggest the existence of an interplay between PTH and irisin metabolism that seems to be confirmed by the significant reduction of irisin concentration in postmenopausal women with PHPT. In vitro findings suggest the existence of interplay between PTH and irisin metabolism that seems to be confirmed by a significant reduction in irisin concentration in postmenopausal women with PHPT.

It has been recently demonstrated that exercise activity increases the expression of the myokine Irisin in skeletal muscle, which is able to drive the transition of white to brown adipocytes, likely following a phenomenon of transdifferentiation. This new evidence supports the idea that muscle can be considered an endocrine organ, given its ability to target adipose tissue by promoting energy expenditure. In accordance with these new findings, we hypothesized that Irisin is directly involved in bone metabolism, demonstrating its ability to increase the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into mature osteoblasts. Firstly, we confirmed that myoblasts from mice subjected to 3 weeks of free wheel running increased Irisin expression compared to nonexercised state. The conditioned media (CM) collected from myoblasts of exercised mice induced osteoblast differentiation in vitro to a greater extent than those of mice housed in resting conditions. Furthermore, the differentiated osteoblasts increased alkaline phosphatase and collagen I expression by an Irisin-dependent mechanism. Our results show, for the first time, that Irisin directly targets osteoblasts, enhancing their differentiation. This finding advances notable perspectives in future studies which could satisfy the ongoing research of exercise-mimetic therapies with anabolic action on the skeleton.

Although hyponatremia is known to be associated with osteoporosis and a high fracture risk, the mechanism through which bone loss ensues has remained unclear. As hyponatremic patients have elevated circulating arginine-vasopressin (AVP) levels, we examined whether AVP can affect the skeleton directly as yet another component of the pituitary-bone axis. Here, we report that the two Avp receptors, Avpr1α and Avpr2, coupled to Erk activation, are expressed in osteoblasts and osteoclasts. AVP injected into wild-type mice enhanced and reduced, respectively, the formation of bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts. Conversely, the exposure of osteoblast precursors to Avpr1α or Avpr2 antagonists, namely SR49059 or ADAM, increased osteoblastogenesis, as did the genetic deletion of Avpr1α . In contrast, osteoclast formation and bone resorption were both reduced in Avpr1α ⁻/⁻ cultures. This process increased bone formation and reduced resorption resulted in a profound enhancement of bone mass in Avpr1α ⁻/⁻ mice and in wild-type mice injected with SR49059. Collectively, the data not only establish a primary role for Avp signaling in bone mass regulation, but also call for further studies on the skeletal actions of Avpr inhibitors used commonly in hyponatremic patients.

Almost four years after the discovery of the anabolic action of irisin on bone in mice, ample clinical evidence is emerging in support of its additional physiological relevance in human bone. Irisin inversely correlates with sclerostin levels in adults with prediabetes and with vertebral fragility fractures in post-menopausal women. Furthermore, in athletes we observed a positive correlation between irisin and bone mineral density at different anatomical sites. Our group also described a positive association between serum irisin and bone status in healthy children and multivariate regression analysis showed that irisin is a stronger determinant of bone mineral status than bone alkaline phosphatase. In children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, serum irisin concentrations are positively associated with bone quality and with glycemic control following continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Additionally, our in vitro studies suggest the existence of a negative interplay between PTH and irisin biology and these results were also supported by the observation that post-menopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism have lower levels of irisin compared to matched controls. In this review, we will focus on recent findings about circulating level of irisin in different populations of human subjects and its correlation with their bone status.

Significance We have shown previously that oxytocin (Oxt), other than regulating lactation and social bonding, is a potent stimulator of bone formation by the osteoblast. Here, we present evidence that this action is exerted through the nuclear localization of the Oxt receptor (Oxtr). Our findings prompt additional studies into the contribution of nuclear Oxtr signaling in regulating lactation and social bonding. We report that oxytocin (Oxt) receptors (Oxtrs), on stimulation by the ligand Oxt, translocate into the nucleus of osteoblasts, implicating this process in the action of Oxt on osteoblast maturation. Sequential immunocytochemistry of intact cells or isolated nucleoplasts stripped of the outer nuclear membrane showed progressive nuclear localization of the Oxtr; this nuclear translocation was confirmed by monitoring the movement of Oxtr–EGFP as well as by immunogold labeling. Nuclear Oxtr localization was conclusively shown by Western immunoblotting and MS of nuclear lysate proteins. We found that the passage of Oxtrs into the nucleus was facilitated by successive interactions with β-arrestins (Arrbs), the small GTPase Rab5, importin-β (Kpnb1), and transportin-1 (Tnpo1). siRNA-mediated knockdown of Arrb1 , Arrb2 , or Tnpo1 abrogated Oxt-induced expression of the osteoblast differentiation genes osterix ( Sp7 ), Atf4 , bone sialoprotein ( Ibsp ), and osteocalcin ( Bglap ) without affecting Erk phosphorylation. Likewise and again, without affecting pErk, inhibiting Arrb recruitment by mutating Ser rich clusters of the nuclear localization signal to Ala abolished nuclear import and Oxtr-induced gene expression. These studies define a previously unidentified mechanism for Oxtr action on bone and open possibilities for direct transcriptional modulation by nuclear G protein-coupled receptors.

The myokine irisin, well known for its anabolic effect on bone tissue, has been demonstrated to positively act on osteoblastic differentiation processes in vitro. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have captured great attention in precision medicine and translational research for several decades due to their differentiation capacity, potent immunomodulatory properties, and their ability to be easily cultured and manipulated. Dental bud stem cells (DBSCs) are MSCs, isolated from dental tissues, that can effectively undergo osteoblastic differentiation. In this study, we analyzed, for the first time, the effects of irisin on DBSC osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Our results indicated that DBSCs were responsive to irisin, showed an enhanced expression of osteocalcin (OCN), a late marker of osteoblast differentiation, and displayed a greater mineral matrix deposition. These findings lead to deepening the mechanism of action of this promising molecule, as part of osteoblastogenesis process. Considering the in vivo studies of the effects of irisin on skeleton, irisin could improve bone tissue metabolism in MSC regenerative procedures.