Maternal vitamin B<sub>12</sub> in mice positively regulates bone, but not muscle mass and strength in post-weaning and mature offspring
Parminder Singh, Svetalana Telnova, Bin Zhou, Abdalla D. Mohamed, Vanessa D. de Mello, Henning Wackerhage, X. Edward Guo, Amulya K. Panda, Vijay K. Yadav
Abstract
Vitamin B 12 deficiency has been shown to affect bone mass in rodents and negatively impact bone formation in humans. In this study using mouse models, we define the effect of B 12 supplementation in the wild-type mother and B 12 deficiency in a mouse genetic model ( Gif −/− mice) during gestation on bone and muscle architecture and mechanical properties in the offspring. Analysis of bones from 4-wk-old offspring of the wild-type mother following vehicle or B 12 supplementation during gestation (from embryonic day 0.5 to 20.5) showed an increase in bone mass caused by an isolated increase in bone formation in the B 12 -supplemented group compared with vehicle controls. Analysis of the effect of B 12 deficiency in the mother in a mouse genetic model ( Gif −/− mice) on the long bone architecture of the offspring showed a compromised cortical and trabecular bone mass, which was completely prevented by a single injection of B 12 in the B 12 -deficient Gif −/− mothers. Biomechanical analysis of long bones of the offspring born from B 12 -supplemented wild-type mothers showed an increase in bone strength, and conversely, offspring born from B 12 -deficient Gif −/− mothers revealed a compromised bone strength, which could be rescued by a single injection of B 12 in the B 12 -deficient Gif −/− mother. Muscle structure and function analysis however revealed no significant effect on muscle mass, structure, and grip strength of B 12 deficiency or supplementation in Gif −/− mice compared with littermate controls. Together, these results demonstrate the beneficial effect of maternally derived B 12 in the regulation of bone structure and function in the offspring.