During space flight, severe losses of bone mass are observed. Both bone formation and resorption are probably involved, but their relative importance remains unclear. The purpose of this research is to understand the role of osteoclasts and their precursors in microgravity-induced bone loss. Three experiments on isolated osteoclasts (OCs) and on their precursors, OSTEO, OCLAST, and PITS, were launched in the FOTON-M3 mission. The OSTEO experiment was conducted for 10 d in microgravity within bioreactors with a perfusion system, where the differentiation of precursors, cultured on a synthetic 3-dimensional bonelike biomaterial, skelite, toward mature OCs was assessed. In OCLAST and in PITS experiments, differentiated OCs were cultured on devitalized bovine bone slices for 4 d in microgravity. All of the experiments were replicated on ground in the same bioreactors, and OCLAST also had an inflight centrifuge as a control. Gene expression in microgravity, compared with ground controls, demonstrated a severalfold increase in genes involved in osteoclast maturation and activity. Increased bone resorption, proved by an increased amount of collagen telopeptides released VS ground and centrifuge control, was also found. These results indicate for the first time osteoclasts and their precursors as direct targets for microgravity and mechanical forces.

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The role of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) eicosanoids in dystrophinopathies has been evaluated by chronically treating (4-8 weeks) adult dystrophic mdx mice with the anti-TNF-alpha etanercept (0.5 mg/kg) or the COX-2 inhibitor meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg). Throughout the treatment period the mdx mice underwent a protocol of exercise on treadmill in order to worsen the pathology progression; gastrocnemious muscles from exercised mdx mice showed an intense staining for TNF-alpha by immunohistochemistry. In vivo, etanercept, but not meloxicam, contrasted the exercise-induced forelimb force drop. Electrophysiological recordings ex vivo, showed that etanercept counteracted the decrease in chloride channel function (gCl), a functional index of myofibre damage, in both diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle, meloxicam being effective only in EDL muscle. None of the drugs ameliorated calcium homeostasis detected by electrophysiology and/or spectrofluorimetry. Etanercept, more than meloxicam, effectively reduced plasma creatine kinase (CK). Etanercept-treated muscles showed a reduction of connective tissue area and of pro-fibrotic cytokine TGF-beta1 vs. untreated ones; however, the histological profile was weakly ameliorated. In order to better evaluate the impact of etanercept treatment on histology, a 4-week treatment was performed on 2-week-old mdx mice, so to match the first spontaneous degeneration cycle. The histology profile of gastrocnemious was significantly improved with a reduction of degenerating area; however, CK levels were only slightly lower. The present results support a key role of TNF-alpha, but not of COX-2 products, in different phases of dystrophic progression. Anti-TNF-alpha drugs may be useful in combined therapies for Duchenne patients.

We explored the involvement of Oxytocin receptor (Oxtr)/ Transient-receptor-potential-vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) genes and Oxytocin (Oxt) on the adaptation of skeletal muscle to cold stress challenge in mice. Oxtr expression in hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN), supraoptic nuclei (SON), and hippocampus (HIPP) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in parallel with the measurement of circulating Oxt. The Oxtr and TRPV1 gene expression in Soleus (SOL) and Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscles were investigated by RT-PCR. Histological studies of the cardiac muscle after cold stress were also performed. Male mice (n=15) were divided into controls maintained at room temperature (RT=24°C), exposed to cold stress (CS) at T=4°C for 6 hours (6h), and 5 days (5d). Immunohistochemical studies showed that Oxtr protein expression increased by 2-fold (p=0.01) in PVN and by 1.5-fold (p=0.0001) in HIPP after 6h and 5d CS, but decreased by 2-fold (p=0.026) in SON at 5d. Both Oxtr and TRPV1 gene expression increased after 6h and 5d CS in SOL and TA muscles. Oxtr vs TRPV1 gene expression in SOL and TA muscles evaluated by regression analysis was linearly correlated following CS at 6h and 5d but not at control temperature of 24+1°C, supporting the hypothesis of coupling between these genes. The circulating levels of Oxt are unaffected after 6h CS but decreased by 0.2-fold (p=0.0141) after 5d CS. This is the first report that Oxtr and TRPV1 expression are upregulated in response to cold acclimation in skeletal muscle. The up-regulation of Oxtr in PVN and HIPP balances the decrease of circulating Oxt.