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Homocysteine and Bone Health

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Homocysteine Metabolism in Health and Disease

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Abstract

Homocysteine is a sulfur-containing intermediary amino acid synthesized during methionine metabolism. Homocysteine has a significant role in the regulation of cell homeostasis but an elevated level of plasma homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is associated with vascular and various age-related pathologies. There are evidences from various laboratories and clinical studies that a high level of homocysteine shows deleterious effects on bone. Homocysteine is now considered as an independent risk factor for osteoporosis. Homocysteine exerts detrimental effects on both osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Homocysteine also promotes oxidative stress resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species and disrupts cross-linking of collagen molecules. Thus, homocysteine impairs bone quality and reduces bone mass in several ways. In this book chapter, we reviewed all the known mechanisms responsible for hyperhomocysteinemia-induced osteoporosis. We also discuss the role of homocysteine-induced dysbiosis in bone resorption and the potential role of probiotics as a potent therapy for the prevention of homocysteine-induced bone loss along with other available therapies.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by projects: DST-SERB (EMR/2016/007158), Govt. of India, Intramural project from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi-India (A-596), and AIIMS-IITD (AI-15) collaborative project sanctioned to RKS. AB, LS, BV, and RKS acknowledge the Department of Biotechnology, AIIMS, New Delhi-India for providing infrastructural facilities. AB thanks DST SERB and LS thanks UGC for research fellowships. Figure are created with the help of https://smart.servier.com.

Author Contributions

RKS contributed in conceptualization and writing of the manuscript. AB and LS participated in writing and editing of the review. BV provided valuable inputs in the preparation of the manuscript. AB created the illustrations.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translational Osteoimmunology & Immunoporosis Lab (TOIL), Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Asha Bhardwaj, Leena Sapra, Bhupendra Verma & Rupesh K. Srivastava

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  1. Asha Bhardwaj
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  2. Leena Sapra
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  3. Bhupendra Verma
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  4. Rupesh K. Srivastava
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Correspondence to Rupesh K. Srivastava .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kriya Sharira and Kaya Chikitsa, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Govind Prasad Dubey

  2. Department of Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITA), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Krishna Misra

  3. Department of Computer Application, Nehru Gram Bharati (Deemed to be University), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rajesh K. Kesharwani

  4. Department of Zoology, Nehru Gram Bharati (Deemed to be University), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rudra P. Ojha

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Bhardwaj, A., Sapra, L., Verma, B., Srivastava, R.K. (2022). Homocysteine and Bone Health. In: Dubey, G.P., Misra, K., Kesharwani, R.K., Ojha, R.P. (eds) Homocysteine Metabolism in Health and Disease. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6867-8_4

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