Aim: To investigate the effect of endogenous n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on bone marrow adipogenesis under osteoporosis conditions.
Methods: A mouse osteoporosis model overexpressing the FAT1 gene from Caenorhabditis elegans and converting n-6 PUFAs to n-3 PUFAs endogenously was used.
Results: The mice presented significantly lower bone marrow adiposity (adipocyte volume/tissue volume, mean adipocyte number) but increased the bone parameters (bone mineral density, bone mineral content, bone volume/total volume) in the distal femoral metaphysis.
Conclusion: Endogenous n-3 PUFAs protect bone marrow adipogenesis, which provides a novel drug target.
Keywords: adipogenesis; antiosteoporosis; bone marrow; n-3 PUFAs.