Follicle-stimulating hormone stimulates TNF production from immune cells to enhance osteoblast and osteoblast formation
While this was a mouse study, it does have some potentially important implications. First, it further confirms the role that inflammation plays in bone loss. Basically, the more inflammation present, the more cells that are produced to break down bone (osteoclasts) and thus greater bone loss.
The marker of inflammation, TNF-alpha, was increased by FSH, a hormone that will increase around peri-menopause as the body tries to jump-start the ovaries to release an egg. Next implications, ascorbic acid was found to prevent this increase in osteoclasts in the presence of elevated TNF alpha.
