The puzzle of lactational bone physiology: osteocytes masquerade as osteoclasts and osteoblasts
Brittany A. Ryan and Christopher S. Kovacs
Faculty of Medicine, Endocrinology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health Sciences Centre, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Address correspondence to: Christopher Kovacs, Health Sciences Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6 Canada. Phone: 709.864.3847; Email: ckovacs@mun.ca.
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Faculty of Medicine, Endocrinology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health Sciences Centre, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Address correspondence to: Christopher Kovacs, Health Sciences Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6 Canada. Phone: 709.864.3847; Email: ckovacs@mun.ca.
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Kovacs, C.
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First published June 24, 2019 - More info
J Clin Invest. 2019;129(8):3041–3044. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI130640.
© 2019 American Society for Clinical Investigation
Lactation is a unique period in which the maternal skeleton acts as a storehouse to provide substantial calcium to milk. Women who exclusively breastfeed lose an average of 210 mg of calcium per day, which doubles or triples with twins and triplets. Data from rodent and clinical studies are consistent with skeletal calcium being released to provide much of the calcium needed for milk production. This is programmed to occur independently of dietary calcium intake or intestinal calcium absorption, which remains at the prepregnant rate in breastfeeding women. After weaning, the skeleton is restored to its prior mineralization and strength, but the factors that regulate this remain to be elucidated.
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