Intermuscular adipose tissue drives bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis via fibro-adipogenic progenitors-mediated osteoclastogenesis.

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

To determine whether intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) shows region-specific associations with bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) and to define a muscle-resident stromal mechanism linking IMAT expansion to osteoclast activation. In a clinical cohort 120 postmenopausal women were included in the primary analyses. IMAT and muscle cross-sectional areas in the thigh, calf, and paraspinal muscles were quantified by computed tomography and analyzed for associations with BMD using correlation and prespecified multivariable regression models. An ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model was used to assess IMAT accumulation, trabecular microarchitecture by micro-CT, and osteoclast activity by histology. Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) were isolated for bulk RNA sequencing, and conditioned media from adipogenically induced FAPs were applied to bone marrow-derived macrophages to evaluate osteoclast differentiation, cytoskeletal maturation, and marker expression. Higher IMAT-to-muscle ratios in thigh, calf, and paraspinal muscles were independently associated with lower BMD at the femur and lumbar spine. OVX mice exhibited increased IMAT infiltration, trabecular deterioration, and elevated osteoclast indices, with IMAT strongly correlating with bone microstructural loss and osteoclast parameters. FAPs showed transcriptional reprogramming enriched for adipogenic,

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.