Osteocalcin, Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin, and Glycemic Control in Human Subjects

Abstract

Bone modeling and remodeling throughout life require energy and the changes in bone structure so produced also have an energy cost. While these energy costs have not been determined, this notion raises the possibility that there is a crosstalk between bone and energy metabolism. In the last 5 years, genetic experiments in mice revealed that the skeleton participates in energy metabolism and glucose homeostasis via the undercarboxylated form of osteocalcin (ucOC), a noncollagenous protein secreted by osteoblasts. In this chapter we review the evidence available for the existence of a connection between ucOC and insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and glycemic control in human subjects. Fi..