Loading...
Osteoporosis and an increased incidence of fractures have been associated with major depression. The mechanism of these associations has not been defined, nor is it known whether treatment of depression would alleviate the problem. These researchers used an animal model of depression (mice subjected to chronic mild stress for 4 weeks) to investigate the issues.
Compared with control mice, stressed mice had bone loss and fewer osteoblasts, which are responsible for bone formation. Levels of physical activity, sex hormones, and inflammatory cytokines did not differ between stressed and nonstressed groups. However, levels of norepinephrine in bone and of serum glucocorticoids were elevated in stressed mice. Because of sympathetic innervation of…