HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tatara, M. R. Articles by Dabrowski, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tatara, M. R. Articles by Dabrowski, A.

---

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Fundectomy-Evoked Osteopenia in Pigs Is Mediated by the Gastric-Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

Marcin R. Tatara^*,1, Witold Krupski, Ewa liwa^*, Ryszard Maciejewski and Andrzej Dabrowski

^* Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, The Agricultural University of Lublin, ul. Akademicka 12, 20–950 Lublin, Poland; II Department of Radiology, Medical University of Lublin, 20–081 Lublin, Poland; Human Anatomy Department, Medical University of Lublin, 20–074 Lublin, Poland; and II Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, 20–081 Lublin, Poland

To whom requests for reprints should be addressed at ¹ The Agricultural University of Lublin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal Physiology, ul. Akademicka 12, 20–950 Lublin, Poland. E-mail: matatar{at}o2.pl

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of gastric impairment in pigs on the axial and peripheral skeletal system properties and to test the hypothesis that fundectomy-evoked osteopenia is related to disturbed gastric-hypothalamic-pituitary axis function. Forty-day-old male piglets were subjected to experimental fundectomy (FX group, n = 6) to induce osteopenia, while sham operation was performed in the controls (SHO group, n = 6). At the age of 8 months, serum samples were collected, and the animals were sacrificed to obtain lumbar vertebrae (L₁–L₆) and right humerus for analysis. Using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) methods, bone mineral density and bone mineral content of the vertebrae and humerus were measured. The compression and three-point bending tests were applied to determine mechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae and humerus, respectively. Furthermore, geometric properties of humerus were assessed. Serum concentrations of ghrelin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and selected macro- and microelements were also determined. Performed fundectomy decreased body weight in pigs by 66% compared with pair-fed sham operated pigs (P < 0.0001). Bone weight, bone mineral density, and bone mineral content of the lumbar vertebrae and humerus were significantly decreased in the fundectomized pigs (P < 0.01). Mechanical parameters of the lumbar spine and humerus were decreased after the fundectomy, as well. Serum concentrations of ghrelin, GH, and IGF-1 were lowered by 74.4%, 90.6%, and 54.6% in the fundectomized pigs, respectively (all P < 0.001). Moreover, the serum concentrations of calcium, magnesium, iron and copper in the fundectomized animals were significantly decreased by 15.5%, 45.3%, 26.7%, and 26.2%, respectively (P 0.05). In conclusion, the results obtained showed that both the disturbed gastric-hypothalamic-pituitary axis function and impaired mineral metabolism are associated with development of postfundectomy osteopenia of axial and peripheral skeleton in pigs.

Key Words: fundectomy • gastric-hypothalamic-pituitary axis • osteopenia • quantitative computed tomography

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. R. Tatara Neonatal programming of skeletal development in sheep is mediated by somatotrophic axis function Exp Physiol, June 1, 2008; 93(6): 763 - 772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]