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Characterized by a rise in heart rate, respiration, temperature, and adrenaline, the acute stress response, more commonly known as the fight-or-flight response, is a physiological reaction to dangerous or fearful situations. While a mammal’s sense of fear originates in the brain, a key mediator of the stress response derives, somewhat unexpectedly, from bone, according to a study published in Cell Metabolism today (September 12). Osteocalcin, a hormone secreted by bone cells, induces the fight-or-flight response by essentially deactivating the brakes that normally keep it in check, the research reveals.
The finding is “interesting and exciting” and “a big surprise,” says Clifford Rosen, a bone expert at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute who was not involved in the study. It raises the questions, he continues, “Why would the skeleton be an acute phase responder? Why would you bother to work through the skeleton?”
While skeletal biologist Gerard ...
