Are Changes in Composition in Response to Treatment of a Mouse Model of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Sex-dependent?

FTIR imaging data were collected from femurs from four to five mice per sex per genotype per treatment. Treatments were 24 weeks of saline, alendronate, or RANK-Fc; and 12 weeks of saline + 12 weeks RANK-Fc and 12 weeks of alendronate + RANK-Fc. FTIR imaging compositional parameters measured in cortical and cancellous bones were mineral-to-matrix ratio, carbonate-to-mineral ratio, crystal size/perfection, acid phosphate substitution, collagen maturity, and their respective distributions (heterogeneities). Because of the small sample size, nonparametric statistics (Mann-Whitney U- and Kruskal-Wallis tests with Bonferroni correction) were used to compare saline-treated male and female mice of different genotypes and treatment effects by sex and genotype, respectively. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

At 6.5 months, saline-treated male cortical oim/oim bone had increased mineral-to-matrix ratio (p = 0.016), increased acid phosphate substitution (p = 0.032), and decreased carbonate-to-mineral ratio (p = 0.016) relative to WT. Cancellous bone in male oim/oim also had increased mineral-to-matrix ratio (p = 0.016) relative to male WT. Female oim/oim mouse bone composition for all cortical and cancellous bone parameters was comparable to WT (p > 0.05). Only the female WT mice showed a response of mean compositional properties to treatment, increasing mineral-to-matrix after RANK-Fc treatment in cancellous bone (p = 0.036) compared with saline-treated mice. Male oim/oim increased mineral-to-matrix cortical and cancellous bone heterogeneity in response to all long-term treatments except for saline + RANK-Fc (p < 0.04); female oim/oim cortical mineral-to-matrix bone heterogeneity increased with ALN + RANK-Fc and all treatments increased cancellous female oim/oim bone acid phosphate substitution heterogeneity (p < 0.04).

Both oim/oim and WT mice, which demonstrate sex-dependent differences in composition with saline treatment, showed few responses to long-term treatment with antiresorptive agents. Female WT mice appeared to be more responsive; male oim/oim mice showed more changes in compositional heterogeneity. Changes in bone composition caused by these agents may contribute to improved bone quality in oim/oim mice, because the treatments are known to reduce fracture incidence.

The optimal drug therapy for long-term treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe OI is unknown. Based on bone compositional changes in mice, antiresorptive treatments are useful for continued treatment in OI. There is a reported sexual dimorphism in fracture incidence in adults with OI, but to date, no one has reported differences in response to pharmaceutical intervention. This study suggests that such an investigation is warranted.