Osteopetrosis

Bones like stones, that is osteo-petrosis. It is the opposite of osteoporosis, porous bones. Osteopetrosis is a disruption of bone metabolism so that mineralization by osteoblasts predominates over demineralization by osteoclasts.

Mice lacking almost all genes, i.e. knockout mice, are now available. To determine which body tissues require the inflammatory transcription factor, NFkB, NFkB knockout mice were engineered and their characteristics were carefully analyzed. Their bones kept mineralizing and mineralizing and mineralizing. NFkB function was required for the development and function of osteoclasts, the macrophage-derived cells that remove bone.

Inactivation of osteoclasts or inhibition of osteoclast development by bisphenols, such as Boniva, leads to a minor version of osteopetrosis. Killing osteoclasts leads to a reversal of osteoperosis. An omega-3 fatty acid deficient diet leads to osteoporosis in mice.

Omega-3 fish oil has been used to reduce inflammation induced bone loss associated with many diseases, e.g. arthritis, periodontitis and osteoporosis. In a recent study (below) the fish oils, DHA and EPA were added to mouse macrophages in culture and the impact on differentiation into osteoclasts was analyzed. DHA was more effective than EPA in reducing NFkB activation and TFA response leading to macrophage differentiation. The omega-6 fatty acid, ALA, enhanced osteoclast differentiation, consistent with many animal and human studies that show that the high omega-6 fatty acid content of such common vegetable oils as corn, soybean and safflower, are inflammatory and presumably encourage osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis increase in our population has paralleled the increase in use of omega-6 vegetable oils, and the increase in chronic inflammation. The first step in treating osteoporosis should be a shift to an anti-inflammatory diet lacking these vegetable oils. Olive oil is much safer.


Rahman MM, Bhattacharya A, Fernandes G. 2008. Docosahexaenoic acid is more potent inhibitor of osteoclast differentiation in RAW 264.7 cells than eicosapentaenoic acid. J Cell Physiol. 214:201-9.