Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (6): 2231-2240.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2023.06.003

• REVIEW • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress in Reverse Osteogenesis of Deer Antler

XING Baorui1,2, LIU Zhen2, ZHAO Haiping2, MA Zefang2, LI Xunsheng1, ZHOU Jue1, SUN Hongmei1*   

  1. 1. Institute of Special Animal and Plant Science of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130022, China;
    2. Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
  • Received:2022-09-13 Online:2023-06-23 Published:2023-06-16

Abstract: As an osseous organ of deer family, deer antler undergoes annual cyclic regeneration based on stem cells, and its unique biological properties have gradually made it an ideal model for biology, medicine and other fields. Antler ossification is closely related to changes in sex hormone levels in the body: Under the physiological environment of low sex hormone levels and rib bone loss in deer, antlers grow at a rate of up to 2.7 cm·d-1, and ossifying as they grow; Then sex hormone levels rise and antlers enter a period of rapid ossification, forming bony tissues weighing more than 30 kg in just three months. This phenomenon that antler can achieve rapid osteogenesis under the endocrine conditions of massive body bone loss and low levels of sex hormones, which called antler reverse osteogenesis. This paper reviewed the current research status and occurrence mechanism of antler reverse osteogenesis from the perspectives of cell differentiation, hormone, osteogenesis, osteolysis and cytokines, with the aim of investigating the mechanisms of antler reverse osteogenesis and providing a reference for improving antler production and animal welfare and health.

Key words: deer antler, reverse osteogenesis, osteoporosis, cytokines, hormone

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