Bone mineral density and microarchitecture change during skeletal growth in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the German coast

Autor: Julian Delsmann, Britta Schmidt, Ralf Oheim, Michael Amling, Tim Rolvien, Ursula Siebert
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Scientific Reports, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33911-8
Popis: Abstract Across species, the skeletal system shares mutual functions, including the protection of inner organs, structural basis for locomotion, and acting as an endocrine organ, thus being of pivotal importance for survival. However, insights into skeletal characteristics of marine mammals are limited, especially in the growing skeleton. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are common marine mammals in the North and Baltic Seas and are suitable indicators of the condition of their ecosystem. Here, we analyzed whole-body areal bone mineral density (aBMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and lumbar vertebrae by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in neonate, juvenile, and adult harbor seals. Along skeletal growth, an increase in two-dimensional aBMD by DXA was paralleled by three-dimensional volumetric BMD by HR-pQCT, which could be attributed to an increasing trabecular thickness while trabecular number remained constant. Strong associations were observed between body dimensions (weight and length) and aBMD and trabecular microarchitecture (R2 = 0.71–0.92, all p
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Externí odkaz:
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje