Impacts of the N-terminal fragment analog of human parathyroid hormone on structure, composition and biomechanics of bone

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, and it is a serious threat to human lives. We previously showed that the N-terminal peptide analog of human parathyroid hormone (Pro-Pro-PTH(1–34)) enhanced plasma calcium concentration. In this paper, we study the impact of PTH N-terminal fragment analog on the structure, component, and mechanical properties of the rat bones. Daily subcutaneous injections of Pro-Pro-hPTH (1–34) induces 26.5–32.8% increase in femur bone mineral density (BMD), 23.0–34.2% decrease the marrow cavity or increase in trabecular bone area. The peptide also increases 16.0–59.5%, 28.8–48.2% and 14.0–17.8% of bone components of calcium, phosphorus and collagen, respectively. In terms of mechanic properties, administration of the peptide elevates the bone rigidity by 45.4–76.6%, decreases the flexibility by 23.0–31.6%, and improves modulus of elasticity by 32.8–63.4%. The results suggest that Pro-Pro-hPTH (1–34) has a positive effect on bone growth and strength, and possesses anti-fracture capability, thus a potential candidate for the application for the treatment of osteoporosis.

The whole experimental content of the pharmacological research on Pro-Pro-hPTH (1–34), including the experimental design, the animal modeling, the peptide administration, the animal sacrification, the sample acquisition, and the impact evaluation.Figure optionsDownload high-quality image (142 K)Download as PowerPoint slide