Estrogen receptor specificity in the regulation of skeletal growth and maturation in male mice

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.97.10.5474
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:31:44Z
• Authors: Olle Vidal; Marie K. Lindberg; Karin Hollberg; David J. Baylink; Göran Andersson; Dennis B. Lubahn; Subburaman Mohan; Jan-Åke Gustafsson; Claes Ohlsson
• Keywords: Male; Mice, Knockout; Heterozygote; Sex Characteristics; 0303 health sciences; Bone Development; Genotype; Tibia; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Receptors, Estrogen; Bone Density; Animals; Estrogen Receptor beta; Female; Growth Plate; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

Androgens may regulate the male skeleton directly through a stimulation of androgen receptors or indirectly through aromatization of androgens into estrogen and, thereafter, through stimulation of estrogen receptors (ERs). The relative importance of ER subtypes in the regulation of the male skeleton was studied in ERα-knockout (ERKO), ERβ-knockout (BERKO), and double ERα/β-knockout (DERKO) mice. ERKO and DERKO, but not BERKO, demonstrated decreased longitudinal as well as radial skeletal growth associated with decreased serum levels of insulin-like growth factor I. Therefore, ERα, but not ERβ, mediates important effects of estrogen in the skeleton of male mice during growth and maturation.