Table 1.
Skeletal effect of altering Cx43 gene expression or its domains in osteocytes
| Mice | Ot-Cx43 cKO [53] | Ot-Δ130-136 Cx43 [127] | Ot-R67W Cx43 [127] | Cx43Δ245 (global) [119] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone mass | – | ↑ | – | – |
| Cancellous bone area/tissue area | – | – | – | ↓ |
| Cancellous bone formation | nd | ↑ | – | ↓ |
| Cancellous osteocyte apoptosis | – | ↑ | – | – |
| Cortical osteocyte apoptosis | ↑ | ↑ | – | – |
| Cortical bone area/tissue area | ↓ | ↓ | – | – |
| Cortical thickness | – | ↑ | – | ↑ |
| Marrow cavity area | ↑ | ↑ | – | – |
| Cortical bone material strength | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | – |
| Cortical bone mechanical strength | – | ↑/– | – | ↑ |
| Periosteal bone formation | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | – |
| Endocortical bone formation | – | – | – | – |
| OPG levels in bone/osteocytes | ↓ | ↓ | – | nd |
| RANKL levels in bone/osteocytes | ↑ | ↓ | – | nd |
| Circulating resorption marker | – (CTX) | – (CTX) | ↑ (CTX) | – (CTX) |
| Circulating formation marker | – (Osteocalcin) | – (P1NP) | ↑ (P1NP) | – (Osteocalcin) |
CTX carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks fragment, nd not determined, OPG osteoprotegerin, Ot osteocyte, P1NP total procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide, RANKL receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand