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  • Vitamin E decreases bone ma...
    Fujita, Koji; Iwasaki, Makiko; Ochi, Hiroki; Fukuda, Toru; Ma, Chengshan; Miyamoto, Takeshi; Takitani, Kimitaka; Negishi-Koga, Takako; Sunamura, Satoko; Kodama, Tatsuhiko; Takayanagi, Hiroshi; Tamai, Hiroshi; Kato, Shigeaki; Arai, Hiroyuki; Shinomiya, Kenichi; Itoh, Hiroshi; Okawa, Atsushi; Takeda, Shu

    Nature medicine, 04/2012, Volume: 18, Issue: 4
    Journal Article

    Bone homeostasis is maintained by the balance between osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption. Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells that are formed by mononuclear preosteoclast fusion. Fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D are pivotal in maintaining skeletal integrity. However, the role of vitamin E in bone remodeling is unknown. Here, we show that mice deficient in α-tocopherol transfer protein (Ttpa(-/-) mice), a mouse model of genetic vitamin E deficiency, have high bone mass as a result of a decrease in bone resorption. Cell-based assays indicated that α-tocopherol stimulated osteoclast fusion, independent of its antioxidant capacity, by inducing the expression of dendritic-cell-specific transmembrane protein, an essential molecule for osteoclast fusion, through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (p38) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, as well as its direct recruitment to the Tm7sf4 (a gene encoding DC-STAMP) promoter. Indeed, the bone abnormality seen in Ttpa(-/-) mice was rescued by a Tm7sf4 transgene. Moreover, wild-type mice or rats fed an α-tocopherol-supplemented diet, which contains a comparable amount of α-tocopherol to supplements consumed by many people, lost bone mass. These results show that serum vitamin E is a determinant of bone mass through its regulation of osteoclast fusion.