[Regulation of bone metabolisms by estrogen/estrogen receptors signaling]

Abstract

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is caused by estrogen deficiency. The precise mechanism was unclear how estrogen maintains bone mass and how estrogen deficiency alters bone metabolism. However, the progress of generation and analyses of estrogen receptorα (ERα) conditional knockout mice have revealed the pathophysiology of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Here we introduce recent reports related to the estrogen/ERα mediated direct and indirect regulations in bone metabolism.