The Role of FSH in Menopausal Osteoporosis and Subsequent Oral Disease

Osteoporosis is an age-related chronic disease in which osteoclasts degrade minerals of the bone faster than osteoblasts can replace them. In addition to increased risk of fracture, osteoporosis patients experience oral, dental and prosthodontic complications due to degradation of the alveolar and jaw bone. Elderly women are disproportionately impacted by this disease. One potential culprit for the gender-based disparity is the increased levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) during menopause. An isoform of the FSH receptor can be found on osteoclasts; when FSH binds to this receptor, osteoclast activity and differentiation are increased. Murine monocytes were differentiated into osteoclasts using RANK ligand, and FSH dependent signaling was measured through Western Blotting. Proteins specific to the FSH-receptor pathway were detected in osteoclasts. A better understanding of the osteoclast FSH receptor could allow for pharmaceutical intervention to interrupt the pathway. Negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) that inhibit FSH signaling on granulosa cells could be used for inhibiting FSH signaling on osteoclasts.