Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 North Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2012 Nov;8(11):674-83. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2012.157. Epub 2012 Oct 9.
Surprising new discoveries in the field of skeletal biology show that bone cells produce endocrine hormones that regulate phosphate and glucose homeostasis. In this Review, we examine the features of these new endocrine pathways and discuss their physiological importance in the context of our current understanding of energy metabolism and mineral homeostasis. Consideration of evolutionary and comparative biology provides clues that a key driving force for the emergence of these hormonal pathways was the development of a large, energy-expensive musculoskeletal system. Specialized bone cells also evolved and produced endocrine hormones to integrate the skeleton in global mineral and nutrient homeostasis. The recognition of bone as a true endocrine organ represents a fertile area for further research and should improve the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus.
骨骼生物学领域的惊人新发现表明，骨细胞会产生调节磷酸盐和葡萄糖稳态的内分泌激素。在这篇综述中，我们研究了这些新的内分泌途径的特征，并结合我们目前对能量代谢和矿物质稳态的理解，讨论了它们的生理重要性。对进化和比较生物学的考虑提供了线索，表明这些激素途径出现的一个关键驱动力是大型、能量密集型的肌肉骨骼系统的发展。专门的骨细胞也进化并产生了内分泌激素，以整合骨骼的全局矿物质和营养稳态。将骨骼视为真正的内分泌器官的认识代表了进一步研究的一个富有成效的领域，应该有助于改善骨质疏松症和糖尿病等代谢性疾病的诊断和治疗。
