Skip to main content
. 2017 May 18;8(43):75646–75663. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.17980

Figure 1. Effects of sex steroids on bone.

Figure 1

Androgens like T can be converted via aromatization to estrogens and can thus activate both AR and ERα. In males, both AR and ERα maintain cortical and trabecular bone in adult male. Estrogens increases osteoblast number and activity, inhibit osteocyte apoptosis, reduces the number and activity of osteoclasts. Androgen directly increase number and function of osteoblasts and inhibit apoptosis of osteocytes. Osteoclasts apparently do not express AR. Trabecular bone formation is increased by ERα in males, whereas both ERα and AR can inhibit trabecular bone resorption. ERα inhibits endosteal bone resorption and with GH/IGF-1 (probably via central aromatization of androgens) stimulates periosteal bone formation). The action of GH/IGF-1 axis in particularly evident during puberty. E2 : estradiol; T: testosterone; DHT dihydrotestosterone; Era: estrogen a-receptor; AR: androgen receptor; OB: osteoblast; OC osteocyte; OCL :osteoclast; GH: growth hormone; IGF-1: insulin growth-factor;.