Brain-Derived CCN3 Is An Osteoanabolic Hormone That Sustains Bone in Lactating Females.

In lactating mothers, the high calcium (Ca ) demand for milk production triggers significant bone resorption. While estrogen would normally counteract excessive bone loss and maintain sufficient bone formation during this postpartum period, this sex steroid drops precipitously after giving birth. Here, we report that brain-derived CCN3 (Cellular Communication Network factor 3) secreted from KISS1 neurons of the arcuate nucleus (ARC ) fills this void and functions as a potent osteoanabolic factor to promote bone mass in lactating females.