Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

8-2014

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Committee Chair

Sankar, Uma

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Voor, Michael

Committee Member

Voor, Michael

Committee Member

Pierce, William

Subject

Bones--Analysis; Protein kinases

Abstract

Mice lacking or pharmacologically inhibited for calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) have enhanced bone mass and microarchitecture. This enhanced bone mass and architecture is due to changes in osteoblast and osteoclast numbers as well as activity. Whether the enhanced bone mass translated to increased bone quality and strength was further explored by developing a method to directly test the trabecular strength of the distal femur. Micro computed tomography (CT)-based measurement of the length of the epiphysis of the distal femur, aided in its removal, allowing the exposure of the trabecular bone volume used to determine the microarchitecture parameters. Following the development of this method, the hypothesis that the lack or inhibition of CaMKK2 results in enhance bone strength as well as bone mass could be tested. Our results then show a strong correlation between the enhanced bone mass and bone strength in animals lacking or acutely inhibited for CaMKK2.

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