美國最新一期《細胞》月刊發(fā)表哥倫比亞大學(xué)的一份研究報告指出，男性的生育能力可能與骨骼有關(guān),。
研究人員在老鼠身上進行的實驗表明,，骨骼通過釋放一種名為骨鈣素的荷爾蒙,，起到調(diào)節(jié)生育能力的作用。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)可能是在治療不育癥方面取得的重大進展,。
之前關(guān)于骨骼與生殖系統(tǒng)之間的相互作用的研究僅集中在生殖腺對骨質(zhì)的影響上。研究項目負責(zé)人杰勒德·卡爾桑蒂說：“由于兩個人體器官之間的溝通很少是單向進行的，因此生殖腺對骨骼產(chǎn)生影響的事實表明,，可能也會存在反向的作用,。”
卡爾桑蒂和他的團隊注意到,，實驗室里的雄性實驗鼠中,，骨骼不能產(chǎn)生骨鈣素的老鼠產(chǎn)仔量也少,。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，骨鈣素能夠增加睪丸激素的生成量，睪丸激素是控制男性生育能力的荷爾蒙,。在注射了骨鈣素之后，這些雄性老鼠體內(nèi)的睪丸激素水平也有所提高,。
但當(dāng)骨鈣素減少時，睪丸激素也隨之減少,，導(dǎo)致精子量減少,。缺乏骨鈣素的雄性老鼠與正常的雌性老鼠交配后，生育的胎數(shù)是正常雄性老鼠的一半,，每一胎的幼仔數(shù)量也較少,。
鑒于老鼠和人類荷爾蒙之間存在的其他相似性,，卡爾桑蒂希望能在人的身上也證實類似情況的存在。如果骨鈣素同樣能夠促進人體睪丸激素的釋放,，那么骨鈣素水平低就可能是不育男性睪丸激素水平過低的原因,。
但科學(xué)家并沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)骨骼狀況影響女性生育能力的證據(jù)。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Cell doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.004
Endocrine Regulation of Male Fertility by the Skeleton
Franck Oury, Grzegorz Sumara, Olga Sumara, Mathieu Ferron, Haixin Chang, Charles E. Smith, Louis Hermo, Susan Suarez, Bryan L. Roth, Patricia Ducy, Gerard Karsenty
Highlights
Bone regulates male fertility
Osteoblast-derived osteocalcin enhances testosterone production by Leydig cells
Osteocalcin signals through a G protein-coupled receptor, Gprc6a, in Leydig cells
Summary
Interactions between bone and the reproductive system have until now been thought to be limited to the regulation of bone remodeling by the gonads. We now show that, in males, bone acts as a regulator of fertility. Using coculture assays, we demonstrate that osteoblasts are able to induce testosterone production by the testes, though they fail to influence estrogen production by the ovaries. Analyses of cell-specific loss- and gain-of-function models reveal that the osteoblast-derived hormone osteocalcin performs this endocrine function. By binding to a G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the Leydig cells of the testes, osteocalcin regulates in a CREB-dependent manner the expression of enzymes that is required for testosterone synthesis, promoting germ cell survival. This study expands the physiological repertoire of osteocalcin and provides the first evidence that the skeleton is an endocrine regulator of reproduction.
