Relationship of serum GDF11 levels with bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal Chinese women

Abstract

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) is an important circulating factor that regulates aging. However, the role of GDF11 in bone metabolism remains unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between serum GDF11 level, bone mass, and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal Chinese women. Serum GDF11 level, bone turnover biochemical markers, and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined in 169 postmenopausal Chinese women (47–78 years old). GDF11 serum levels increased with aging. There were negative correlations between GDF11 and BMD at the various skeletal sites. After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), the correlations remained statistically significant. In the multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, age or years since menopause, BMI, GDF11, and estradiol were independent predictors of BMD. A significant negative correlation between GDF11 and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) was identified and remained significant after adjusting for age and BMI. No significant correlation was noted between cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and GDF11. In conclusion, GDF11 is an independent negative predictor of BMD and correlates with a biomarker of bone formation, BAP, in postmenopausal Chinese women. GDF11 potentially exerts a negative effect on bone mass by regulating bone formation.

Myostatin-like proteins regulate synaptic function and neuronal morphology

“…The impact of myo mis-expression on synaptic composition at the NMJ cannot be unambiguously attributed to a direct action on neurons. We therefore tested whether physiological levels (10 ng/ml) ( Chen et al, 2016 ; Lakshman et al, 2009 ; Schafer et al, 2016 ; Szulc et al, 2012 ) of mammalian MYO homologs myostatin and GDF11 could modulate synaptogenesis in isolated mammalian neurons. Consistent with its role in synaptic development and plasticity ( Caraci et al, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 1997 ), addition of TGFβ1 (5 ng/ml) ( Czarkowska-Paczek et al, 2006 ; Ramesh et al, 1990 ) onto primary cortical rat neurons increased neurite outgrowth, reduced excitatory synapse formation and increased inhibitory synapse formation ( Fig.…”

Relationship between serum level of growth differentiation factors 8, 11 and bone mineral density in girls with anorexia nervosa

“…Circulating cytokines may play important roles. Recent studies have shown that GDF8 negatively regulates muscle and bone regeneration and GDF11 is indicated to be an inhibitor of skeletal muscle regeneration and bone formation . Many researchers have studied the relationship between AN and BMD, GDF8, GDF11 and BMD, but this is the first report to investigate the relationship in young girls.…”

Role of growth differentiation factor 11 in development, physiology and disease

“…Most studies show a negative role for GDF11 in osteogenesis. In postmenopausal Chinese women, GDF11 is an independent negative predictor of total hip and bone mineral density [ 40 ]. GDF11 inhibits osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via Smad2/3-Runx2 signaling, thereby inhibiting bone formation and accelerating age-related bone loss in mice [ 41 ].…”

“…GDF11 also improved tubular regeneration after acute kidney injury in elderly mice [ 83 ]. On the contrary, many studies showed that GDF11 had no significant effect on the process of aging and could not rescue aging-related pathological cardiac hypertrophy; in fact GDF11 inhibited skeletal muscle regeneration, led to bone loss in both young and aged mice and its serum levels increased or remained unchanged with age [ 5 , 6 , 40 , 42 , 84 , 85 ]. Treatment with rGDF11 did not improve the dystrophic muscle pathology of mdx mutant mice, which are a model for the hereditary muscular dystrophy and it is lack of evidence for GDF11 as a rejuvenator of aged skeletal muscle satellite cells [ 86 , 87 ].…”