α-Ketoglutarate treatment early in postnatal life improves bone density in lambs at slaughter

• Published in: Bone (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 204 - 209
• Main Authors: Harrison, A.P, Tygesen, M.P, Sawa-Wojtanowicz, B, Husted, S, Tatara, M.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.07.2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: AKG; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Bone and Bones - diagnostic imaging; Bone and Bones - drug effects; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone Development - drug effects; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Femur; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; IGF-1; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - metabolism; Ketoglutaric Acids - administration & dosage; Ketoglutaric Acids - pharmacology; Male; Medical sciences; QCT; Sheep; Tomography, X-Ray; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Femur; IGF-1; QCT; AKG; Density; Lamb; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Postnatal; Treatment; Morphology; Orthopedics; Sheep; Early; Physiology; Artiodactyla; Bone; Slaughter; Ungulata
• ISSN: 8756-3282; 1873-2763
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2004.03.016

This study has investigated the long-term effect on skeletal development of a short postnatal period of oral alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) administration, a compound known to regulate the synthesis of proline, which in turn is important for collagen production. Male lambs born to Shropshire ewes were used in this study. Lambs were randomly assigned to either an AKG-treated group or a control group receiving an equal volume of distilled water. AKG-treated lambs received 0.1 g/kg body weight orally from the first 14 days of postnatal life. Lambs were slaughtered at approximately 130 day of life and a body weight of 43–49 kg. Plasma samples, collected from lambs at days 14 and 130, were analyzed for IGF-1 concentration using sheep-specific RIA kits. Bone development was determined on the femur in terms of geometrical and mechanical properties and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Trabecular bone density, cortical bone density, and the mechanical properties of the bones were significantly higher for AKG-treated compared with control lambs. However, neither plasma IGF-1 concentration nor the geometrical properties of the bones were significantly influenced by AKG treatment. It is concluded that early postnatal treatment of lambs with AKG positively affects bone strength, an effect that does not appear to be mediated by an increased plasma IGF-1 concentration.