TY - JOUR

T1 - Dual nuclear magnetic resonance for probing intrinsic bone structure and a potential gut–bone axis in ovariectomized rats

AU - He, Weiwei

AU - Jakobsen, Louise M.A.

AU - Zachariassen, Line F.

AU - Hansen, Axel K.

AU - Andersen, Henrik J.

AU - Bertram, Hanne Christine

N1 - Funding Information: The present study was part of the MÆSTRA project (“Enhanced milk calcium uptake by strategic food design”) funded by the Danish Dairy Research Foundation. Weiwei He thanks China Scholarship Council for financial funding. Data were generated though accessing research infrastructure at Aarhus University, including FOODHAY (Food and Health Open Innovation Laboratory, Danish Roadmap for Research Infrastructure). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Currently, the existence of a gut–bone axis receives massive attention, and while sound premises and indirect proofs exist for the gut–bone axis concept, few studies have provided actual data linking the gut and bone physically. This study aimed to exploit the versatile nature of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to link NMR relaxometry data on bone mineralization with NMR spectroscopic profiling of gut metabolites. For this purpose, sample material was obtained from a 6-week intervention study with ovariectomized (OVX) rats (n = 49) fed with seven different diets varying in calcium content (0.2–6.0 mg/kg) and prebiotic fiber content (0–5.0% w/w). This design ensured a span in (i) calcium available for bone mineralization and (ii) metabolic activity in the gut. After termination of the intervention, longitudinal (T1), transverse (T2) relaxation, and mechanical bone strength were measured on the excised femur bones. A PLS model with high predictability (Q2 = 0.86, R2 = 0.997) was demonstrated between T2 decay curves and femur mechanical strength. Correlations were established between bone T2 populations and gut short-chain fatty acids. In conclusion, the present dual NMR approach showed strong correlation between T2 relaxation and mechanical strength of the bone, and when metabolic activity in the gut was modulated by inulin, the potential existence of a gut–bone axis was demonstrated.

AB - Currently, the existence of a gut–bone axis receives massive attention, and while sound premises and indirect proofs exist for the gut–bone axis concept, few studies have provided actual data linking the gut and bone physically. This study aimed to exploit the versatile nature of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to link NMR relaxometry data on bone mineralization with NMR spectroscopic profiling of gut metabolites. For this purpose, sample material was obtained from a 6-week intervention study with ovariectomized (OVX) rats (n = 49) fed with seven different diets varying in calcium content (0.2–6.0 mg/kg) and prebiotic fiber content (0–5.0% w/w). This design ensured a span in (i) calcium available for bone mineralization and (ii) metabolic activity in the gut. After termination of the intervention, longitudinal (T1), transverse (T2) relaxation, and mechanical bone strength were measured on the excised femur bones. A PLS model with high predictability (Q2 = 0.86, R2 = 0.997) was demonstrated between T2 decay curves and femur mechanical strength. Correlations were established between bone T2 populations and gut short-chain fatty acids. In conclusion, the present dual NMR approach showed strong correlation between T2 relaxation and mechanical strength of the bone, and when metabolic activity in the gut was modulated by inulin, the potential existence of a gut–bone axis was demonstrated.

U2 - 10.1002/mrc.5244

DO - 10.1002/mrc.5244

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34969169

AN - SCOPUS:85123829723

VL - 60

SP - 651

EP - 658

JO - Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry

JF - Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry

SN - 0749-1581

IS - 7

ER -