PUBLICATION

More Bone with Less Minerals? The Effects of Dietary Phosphorus on the Post-Cranial Skeleton in Zebrafish

Authors
Cotti, S., Huysseune, A., Koppe, W., Rücklin, M., Marone, F., Wölfel, E.M., Fiedler, I.A.K., Busse, B., Forlino, A., Witten, P.E.
ID
ZDB-PUB-200807-1
Date
2020
Source
International Journal of Molecular Sciences   21(15): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Huysseune, Ann, Witten, P. Eckhard
Keywords
bone formation, collagen, mineralisation, vertebral body fusion, vertebral column
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Bone and Bones/chemistry*
  • Calcification, Physiologic/drug effects*
  • Osteogenesis/drug effects*
  • Phosphorus, Dietary*/analysis
  • Phosphorus, Dietary*/pharmacology
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
32751494 Full text @ Int. J. Mol. Sci.
Abstract
Dietary phosphorus (P) is essential for bone mineralisation in vertebrates. P deficiency can cause growth retardation, osteomalacia and bone deformities, both in teleosts and in mammals. Conversely, excess P supply can trigger soft tissue calcification and bone hypermineralisation. This study uses a wide range of complementary techniques (X-rays, histology, TEM, synchrotron X-ray tomographic microscopy, nanoindentation) to describe in detail the effects of dietary P on the zebrafish skeleton, after two months of administering three different diets: 0.5% (low P, LP), 1.0% (regular P, RP), and 1.5% (high P, HP) total P content. LP zebrafish display growth retardation and hypomineralised bones, albeit without deformities. LP zebrafish increase production of non-mineralised bone matrix, and osteoblasts have enlarged endoplasmic reticulum cisternae, indicative for increased collagen synthesis. The HP diet promotes growth, high mineralisation, and stiffness but causes vertebral centra fusions. Structure and arrangement of bone matrix collagen fibres are not influenced by dietary P in all three groups. In conclusion, low dietary P content stimulates the formation of non-mineralised bone without inducing malformations. This indicates that bone formation and mineralisation are uncoupled. In contrast, high dietary P content promotes mineralisation and vertebral body fusions. This new zebrafish model is a useful tool to understand the mechanisms underlying osteomalacia and abnormal mineralisation, due to underlying variations in dietary P levels.
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