Cholinergic regulation of bone.

Bone remodeling is regulated by the two branches of the autonomic nervous system: the adrenergic and the cholinergic branches. Adrenergic activity favors bone loss, whereas cholinergic activity has been recently shown to favor bone mass accrual. In vitro studies have reported that cholinergic activity induces proliferation and differentiation of bone cells. In vivo studies have shown that the inhibition of cholinergic activity favors bone loss, whereas its stimulation favors bone mass accrual. Clinical studies have shown that bone density is associated with the function of many cholinergic-regulated tissues such as the hypothalamus, salivary glands, lacrimal glands and langerhans cells, suggesting a common mechanism of control. Altogether, these observations and linked findings are of great significance since they improve our understanding of bone physiology. These discoveries have been successfully used recently to investigate new promising therapies for bone diseases based on cholinergic stimulation. Here, we review the current understanding of the cholinergic activity and its association with bone health.

Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review;

This work was sopported by operating grants from the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) bridge funding. Canadian Institutes of Health Research 8CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (INSERC) and the Fondation de l'Ordre des Dentistes du Québec (FODQ) Funds to FT.HE receives studentships from the FRQS Réseau de Recherche en Santé Buccodentaire et Osseuse (RSBO).