Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry underestimates in vivo lumbar spine bone mineral density in overweight rats.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is currently the most widely used technique for measuring areal bone mineral density (BMD). However, several studies have shown inaccuracy, with either overestimation or underestimation of DXA BMD measurements in the case of overweight or obese individuals. We have designed an overweight rat model based on junk food to compare the effect of obesity on in vivo and ex vivo BMD and bone mineral content measurements. Thirty-eight 6-month old male rats were given a chow diet (n = 13) or a high fat and sucrose diet (n = 25), with the calorie amount being kept the same in the two groups, for 19 weeks. L1 BMD, L1 bone mineral content, amount of abdominal fat, and amount of abdominal lean were obtained from in vivo DXA scan. Ex vivo L1 BMD was also measured. A difference between in vivo and ex vivo DXA BMD measurements (P < 0.0001) is evidenced with an underestimation of in vivo BMD by (8.47 ± 10.54)%. This difference was found for the chow and high fat, high sucrose diets (P = 0.008), and a significant interaction between in vivo measurements, ex vivo measurements, and diet was observed (P = 0.030). Also, the data show a positive significant correlation of ex vivo BMD with body weight, perirenal fat, abdominal fat, and abdominal lean. Multiple linear regression analysis shows that body weight, abdominal fat, and abdominal lean were independently related to ex vivo BMD. DXA underestimated lumbar in vivo BMD in overweight rats, and this measurement error is related to body weight and abdominal fat. Therefore, caution must be used when one is interpreting BMD among overweight and obese individuals.

Impact of an obesogenic diet program on bone densitometry, micro architecture and metabolism in male rat.

BACKGROUND: The relationships between fat mass and bone tissue are complex and not fully elucidated. A high-fat/high-sucrose diet has been shown to induce harmful effects on bone micro architecture and bone biomechanics of rat. When such diet leads to obesity, it may induce an improvement of biomechanical bone parameters in rodent.Here, we examined the impact of a high-fat/high-sucrose diet on the body composition and its resulting effects on bone density and structure in male rats. Forty three Wistar rats aged 7 months were split into 3 groups: 1 sacrificed before diet (BD, n = 14); 1 subjected to 16 weeks of high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HF/HS, n = 14); 1 subjected to standard diet (Control, n = 15). Abdominal circumference and insulin sensitivity were measured and visceral fat mass was weighed. The bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed at the whole body and tibia by densitometry. Microcomputed tomography and histomorphometric analysis were performed at L2 vertebrae and tibia to study the trabecular and cortical bone structures and the bone cell activities. Osteocalcin and CTX levels were performed to assess the relative balance of the bone formation and resorption. Differences between groups have been tested with an ANOVA with subsequent Scheffe post-hoc test. An ANCOVA with global mass and global fat as covariates was used to determine the potential implication of the resulting mechanical loading on bone. RESULTS: The HF/HS group had higher body mass, fat masses and abdominal circumference and developed an impaired glucose tolerance (p < 0.001). Whole body bone mass (p < 0.001) and BMD (p < 0.05) were higher in HF/HS group vs. Control group. The trabecular thickness at vertebrae and the cortical porosity of tibia were improved (p < 0.05) in HF/HS group. Bone formation was predominant in HF/HS group while an unbalance bone favoring bone resorption was observed in the controls. The HF/HS and Control groups had higher total and abdominal fat masses and altered bone parameters vs. BD group. CONCLUSIONS: The HF/HS diet had induced obesity and impaired glucose tolerance. These changes resulted in an improvement of quantitative, qualitative and metabolic bone parameters. The fat mass increase partly explained these observations.

Fat and Sucrose Intake Induces Obesity-Related Bone Metabolism Disturbances: Kinetic and Reversibility Studies in Growing and Adult Rats.

Metabolic and bone effects were investigated in growing (G, n = 45) and mature (M, n = 45) rats fed a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFS) isocaloric to the chow diet of controls (C, n = 30 per group). At week 19, a subset of 15 rats in each group (HFS or C, at both ages) was analyzed. Then one-half of the remaining 30 HFS rats in each groups continued HFS and one-half were shifted to C until week 27. Although no serum or bone marrow inflammation was seen, HFS increased visceral fat, serum leptin and insulin at week 19 and induced further alterations in lipid profile, serum adiponectin, and TGFß1, TIMP1, MMP2, and MMP9, suggesting a prediabetic phenotype and cardiovascular dysfunction at week 27 more pronounced in M than G. These events were associated with dramatic reduction of osteoclastic and osteoid surfaces with accelerated mineralizing surfaces in both HFS age groups. Mineral metabolism and its major regulators were disturbed, leading to hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia. These changes were associated with bone alterations in the weight-bearing tibia, not in the non-weight-bearing vertebra. Indeed in fat rats, tibia trabecular bone accrual increased in G whereas loss of trabecular bone in M was alleviated. At diaphysis cortical porosity increased in G and even more in M at week 27. After the diet switch, metabolic and bone cellular disturbances fully reversed in G, but not in M. Trabecular benefit of the obese was preserved in both age groups and in M the age-related bone loss was even lighter after the diet switch than in prolonged HFS. At the diaphysis, cortical porosity normalized in G but not in M. Hypocalcemia in G and M was irreversible. Thus, the mild metabolic syndrome induced by isocaloric HFS is able to alter bone cellular activities and mineral metabolism, reinforce trabecular bone, and affect cortical bone porosity in an irreversible manner in older rats.

Skeletal site-specific effects of whole body vibration in mature rats: from deleterious to beneficial frequency-dependent effects.

Whole body vibration (WBV) is receiving increasing interest as an anti-osteoporotic prevention strategy. In this context, selective effects of different frequency and acceleration magnitude modalities on musculoskeletal responses need to be better defined. Our aim was to investigate the bone effects of different vibration frequencies at constant g level. Vertical WBV was delivered at 0.7 g (peak acceleration) and 8, 52 or 90 Hz sinusoidal vibration to mature male rats 10 min daily for 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Peak accelerations measured by skin or bone-mounted accelerometers at L2 vertebral and tibia crest levels revealed similar values between adjacent skin and bone sites. Local accelerations were greater at 8 Hz compared with 52 and 90 Hz and were greater in vertebra than tibia for all the frequencies tested. At 52 Hz, bone responses were mainly seen in L2 vertebral body and were characterized by trabecular reorganization and stimulated mineral apposition rate (MAR) without any bone volume alteration. At 90 Hz, axial and appendicular skeletons were affected as were the cortical and trabecular compartments. Cortical thickness increased in femur diaphysis (17%) along with decreased porosity; trabecular bone volume increased at distal femur metaphysis (23%) and even more at L2 vertebral body (32%), along with decreased SMI and increased trabecular connectivity. Trabecular thickness increased at the tibia proximal metaphysis. Bone cellular activities indicated a greater bone formation rate, which was more pronounced at vertebra (300%) than at long bone (33%). Active bone resorption surfaces were unaffected. At 8 Hz, however, hyperosteoidosis with reduced MAR along with increased resorption surfaces occurred in the tibia; hyperosteoidosis and trend towards decreased MAR was also seen in L2 vertebra. Trabecular bone mineral density was decreased at femur and tibia. Thus the most favorable regimen is 90 Hz, while deleterious effects were seen at 8 Hz. We concluded that the skeleton is frequency-scalable, thus highlighting the importance of WBV regimen conditions and suggesting that cautions are required for frequencies less than 10 Hz, at least in rats.

A well-balanced diet combined or not with exercise induces fat mass loss without any decrease of bone mass despite bone micro-architecture alterations in obese rat.

The association of a well-balanced diet with exercise is a key strategy to treat obesity. However, weight loss is linked to an accelerated bone loss. Furthermore, exercise is known to induce beneficial effects on bone. We investigated the impact of a well-balanced isoenergetic reducing diet (WBR) and exercise on bone tissue in obese rats. Sixty male rats had previously been fed with a high fat/high sucrose diet (HF/HS) for 4months to induce obesity. Then, 4 regimens were initiated for 2months: HF/HS diet plus exercise (treadmill: 50min/day, 5days/week), WBR diet plus exercise, HF/HS diet plus inactivity and WBR diet plus inactivity. Body composition and total BMD were assessed using DXA and visceral fat mass was weighed. Tibia densitometry was assessed by Piximus. Bone histomorphometry was performed on the proximal metaphysis of tibia and on L2 vertebrae (L2). Trabecular micro-architectural parameters were measured on tibia and L2 by 3D microtomography. Plasma concentration of osteocalcin and CTX were measured. Both WBR diet and exercise had decreased global weight, global fat and visceral fat mass (p<0.05). The WBR diet alone failed to alter total and tibia bone mass and BMD. However, Tb.Th, bone volume density and degree of anisotropy of tibia were decreased by the WBR diet (p<0.05). Moreover, the WBR diet had involved a significant lower MS/BS and BFR/BS in L2 (p<0.05). Exercise had significantly improved BMD of the tibia possibly by inhibiting the bone resorption, as evidenced by no change in plasma osteocalcin levels, a decrease of CTX levels (p<0.005) and trabecular osteoclast number (p<0.05). In the present study a diet inducing weight and fat mass losses did not affected bone mass and BMD of obese rats despite alterations of their bone micro-architecture. The moderate intensity exercise performed had improved the tibia BMD of obese rats without any trabecular and cortical adaptation.

Knee extension strength in obese and nonobese male adolescents.

The aim of the present study was to compare "absolute" and "relative" knee extension strength between obese and nonobese adolescents. Ten nonobese and 12 severely obese adolescent boys of similar chronological age, maturity status, and height were compared. Total body and regional soft tissue composition were determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Knee extensors maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) torque was measured using an isometric dynamometer at a knee angle of 60° (0° is full extension). Absolute MVC torque was significantly higher in obese adolescents than in controls. However, although MVC torque expressed per unit of body mass was found to be significantly lower in obese adolescent boys, no significant difference in MVC torque was found between groups when normalized to fat-free mass. Conversely, when correcting for thigh lean mass and estimated thigh muscle mass, MVC torque was significantly higher in the obese group (17.9% and 22.2%, respectively; P <0.05). To conclude, our sample of obese adolescent boys had higher absolute and relative knee extension strength than our nonobese controls. However, further studies are required to ascertain whether or not relative strength, measured with more accurate in vivo methods such as magnetic resonance imaging, is higher in obese adolescents than in nonobese controls.