Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center found that the skeleton acts as a regulator of fertility in male rats through a hormone that is released by bone hormone called osteocalcin . The study, led by Gerard Karsenty, MD, Ph.D., head of the Department of Genetics and Development at Columbia University Medical Center will be published in the journal Cell March 4 next. Until now, the interaction between bone and reproductive systems only focus on the influence of gonads(sex glands) in the formation of bone mass.

“Because the communication between the two organs in the body rarely unidirectional, the fact that the gonads regulate bone raises the question: Does bone regulate the gonads ? “ said Dr.. Karsenty. Dr. Karsenty and his team get their first clue to an answer on their reproductive success in laboratory mice. Previously, researchers have observed that male mice who did not hide the skeletal bones hormone osteocalcin is a bad pengembangbiak. 

The researchers then do some experiments that show that osteocalcin strengthen testosterone production, sex steroid hormones that control male fertility. Once they added osteocalcin to that part which in our body produce testosterone, then sintesanya increases. Similarly, when they injected osteocalcin into male mice, the circulating levels of testosterone also increases. 

Conversely, when osteocalcin is not present, testosterone levels drop and cause decreased sperm count. When male mice lacking osteocalcin were mated with normal female mice, they produce only half of the glands that can produce a normal couple. Although this invention has not been confirmed to humans, Dr. Karsenty sure that there are similar characteristics in humans given the hormone mice and humans is similar. 

If osteocalcin also promotes the production of testosterone in men, levels ofosteocalcin are low may be the reason why infertile men have low testosterone levels. Amazingly, despite the discovery of new it comes from a single observation of estrogen and bone mass, the researchers could not membutkikan that affect the skeleton in female reproduction. 

Estrogen is considered one of the most controlling bone hormones; when the ovaries stop producing estrogen in women at menopause, bone mass is rapidly reduced and cause osteoporosis. sex hormones – estrogen in women and testosterone in men – known influence skeletal growth, but up to now, various studies on the interaction of bone with the reproductive system just focus on how sex hormones affect the skeleton. ”We do not know why the skeleton regulate levels of male fertility, rather than in women.

Even so, if you want to breed the species, is very likely to take advantage of this invention to facilitate the male reproductive capability, “said Dr.. Karsenty. ”It’s the only thing that makes sense I guess it could explain why osteocalcin regulate reproduction in male rats, not in female mice. “ surprising relationship between the skeletons with male fertility is one of a number of startling discoveries related to the skeletons in a few years last. In previous papers, Dr.. Karsenty found thatosteocalcin helps control insulin secretion, glucose metabolism, and weight. ”What this research demonstrated is that we know so little of psychology, by asking questions rather naive, we can explore the important discoveries,” said Dr.. Karsenty. ”It also showed that the bone affects a series of important functions that are affected during the aging process.

Likewise, the findings indicate that the bone is not just a victim of the aging process, but also became an active determinant of aging itself,” he explained. Next, the researchers plan to determine the signaling pathways used by osteocalcin when to multiply the production of testosterone.And for potential drug development – because the researchers also have identified a receptor on osteocalcin -, need more fleksibiliats in designing drugs by adopting the effects of osteocalcin . 

Is it for metabolism; glucose or fertility, knowing that the receptor will facilitate the chemists in developing efficacious ingredients, said Dr..Karsenty. ”This study extends the repertoire of psychological osteocalcin , and provide the first evidence that the skeleton is a regulator of reproduction, “said Dr. Karsenty.