Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms Affect Osteoporosis-Related Traits and Response to Antiresorptive Therapy.

The present study analyzed the effect of vitamin D receptor () gene polymorphisms (ApaI, TaqI, BsmI, FokI, and Cdx2) on bone mineral density (BMD), biochemical parameters and bone turnover markers, fracture prevalence, and response to three types of antiresorptive therapy (estrogen-progesterone, raloxifene, and ibandronate) in 356 postmenopausal women from Slovakia. Association analysis revealed a significant effect of BsmI polymorphism on lumbar spine BMD, serum osteocalcin (OC), and β-CrossLaps levels. While ApaI and Cdx2 polymorphisms were associated with OC and alkaline phosphatase, TaqI polymorphism affected all turnover markers.

Long-term peroral administration of bitter apricot seeds influences cortical bone microstructure of rabbits.

Apricot seeds due to the presence of cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin belong to the popular "alternative cancer cures", although anticancer effect of amygdalin remains controversial. This in vivo study points to the effect of long-term peroral administration of bitter apricot seeds on bone microstructure of rabbits since chronic amygdalin toxicity in relation to bone parameters has not been investigated yet. Rabbits (n = 16) were randomly divided into four experimental groups of 4 animals each.

Epicatechin Provides Antioxidant Protection to Bovine Spermatozoa Subjected to Induced Oxidative Stress.

Epicatechin (EPI) is a natural flavonoid with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, the molecule exhibits powerful reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and metal-chelating properties. In this study, we assessed the efficiency of EPI to reverse ROS-mediated alterations to the motility, viability, DNA integrity and oxidative profile of bovine spermatozoa.

The estrogen receptor 1 gene affects bone mineral density and osteoporosis treatment efficiency in Slovak postmenopausal women.

Background: The study investigated the associations of rs9340799:A > G (XbaI) and rs2234693:T > C (PvuII) polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor 1 gene (ESR1) with femoral neck (BMD-FN) and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD-LS), biochemical markers of bone turnover, calcium and phosphate levels, fracture prevalence, and a response to two types of anti-osteoporotic therapy in postmenopausal women from southern Slovakia.

Methods: We analysed 343 postmenopausal Slovak women (62.40 ± 0.

The effect of A163G polymorphism in the osteoprotegerin gene on osteoporosis related traits in Slovak postmenopausal women.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) plays an important role in the osteoclast differentiation as an effective inhibitor of osteoclast maturation and activation. We examined a potential effect of A163G single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the OPG gene on femoral neck (FN-BMD) and lumbar spine BMD (LS-BMD), as well as circulating alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin (ALP, OC; formation markers), beta-CrossLaps (CTx; resorption marker) in Slovak postmenopausal women. In addition, fractures of spine, radius and femur were examined.