Bone metastasis of breast cancer induces severe osteolysis with increased bone resorption. Osteoclast differentiation regulated by the receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) in osteoblasts ...and matrix degradation induced by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are thought to be involved in the process of bone resorption. When nude mice were inoculated with human breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(MDA-231), numerous osteoclasts resorbed bone and the degradation of the bone matrix markedly progressed in the femur and tibia with metastasis of the MDA-231 tumour. The expression of RANKL, MMP-13 and membrane-type 1-MMP mRNA was markedly elevated in bone with metastasis. When MDA-231 cells were cocultured with mouse calvaria, MDA-231 markedly induced bone resorption measured by calcium release from the calvaria, and the expression of RANKL, MMP-2 and MMP-13 was elevated in the calvaria after the coculture. The separation of MDA-231 from the calvaria using filter insert showed decreased bone resorption, suggesting that cell-to-cell interaction is essential for cancer-induced bone resorption. Adding MDA-231 cells to bone marrow cultures markedly induced osteoclast formation, and the expression of RANKL in osteoblasts was enhanced by contact with the cell surface of MDA-231 cells. These results indicate that RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and MMP-dependent matrix degradation are associated with osteolysis because of bone metastasis of breast cancer.
PGE2 functions as a potent stimulator of bone resorption.
The action of PGE2 is thought to be mediated by some PGE
receptor subtypes present in osteoblastic cells. In this study, we
examined the ...involvement of PGE receptor subtypes, EP1, EP2, EP3, and
EP4, in PGE2-induced bone resorption using specific
agonists for the respective EPs. In mouse calvaria cultures, EP4
agonist markedly stimulated bone resorption, but its maximal
stimulation was less than that induced by PGE2. EP2 agonist
also stimulated bone resorption, but only slightly. EP1 and EP3
agonists did not stimulate it at all. RT-PCR showed that osteoblastic
cells isolated from newborn mouse calvaria expressed all of the EPs
messenger RNA (mRNA). Both EP2 agonist and EP4 agonist induced cAMP
production and the expression of osteoclast differentiation factor
(ODF) mRNA in osteoblastic cells. Simultaneous addition of EP2 and EP4
agonists cooperatively induced cAMP production and ODF mRNA expression.
In mouse bone marrow cultures, EP2 and EP4 agonists moderately induced
osteoclast formation, but the simultaneous addition of the two agonists
cooperatively induced it, similar to that by PGE2. In
calvaria culture from EP4 knockout mice, a marked reduction in bone
resorption to PGE2 was found. In EP4 knockout mice, EP4
agonist failed to induce bone resorption, but EP2 agonist slightly, but
significantly, induced bone resorption. These findings suggest that
PGE2 stimulates bone resorption by a mechanism involving
cAMP and ODF, which is mediated mainly by EP4 and partially by EP2.
Osteoclasts differentiate from the hemopoietic monocyte/macrophage cell lineage in bone marrow through cell-cell interactions between osteoclast progenitors and stromal/osteoblastic cells. Here we ...show another osteoclast differentiation pathway closely connected with B lymphocyte differentiation. Recently the TNF family molecule osteoclast differentiation factor/receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (ODF/RANKL) was identified as a key membrane-associated factor regulating osteoclast differentiation. We demonstrate that B-lymphoid lineage cells are a major source of endogenous ODF/RANKL in bone marrow and support osteoclast differentiation in vitro. In addition, B-lymphoid lineage cells in earlier developmental stages may hold a potential to differentiate into osteoclasts when stimulated with M-CSF and soluble ODF/RANKL in vitro. B-lymphoid lineage cells may participate in osteoclastogenesis in two ways: they 1) express ODF/RANKL to support osteoclast differentiation, and 2) serve themselves as osteoclast progenitors. Consistent with these observations in vitro, a decrease in osteoclasts is associated with a decrease in B-lymphoid cells in klotho mutant mice (KL(-/-)), a mouse model for human aging that exhibits reduced turnover during bone metabolism, rather than a decrease in the differentiation potential of osteoclast progenitors. Taken together, B-lymphoid lineage cells may affect the pathophysiology of bone disorders through regulating osteoclastogenesis.
Bone-resorbing osteoclasts are of hemopoietic cell origin, probably of the CFU-M-derived monocyte-macrophage family. Bone marrow-derived osteoblastic stromal cells play an important role in ...modulating the differentiation of osteoclast progenitors in two different ways: one is the production of soluble factors, and the other is cell-to-cell recognition between osteoclast progenitors and osteoblastic stromal cells. M-CSF is probably the most important soluble factor, which appears to be necessary for not only proliferation of osteoclast progenitors, but also differentiation into mature osteoclasts and their survival. A number of local factors as well as systemic hormones induce osteoclast differentiation. They are classified into three categories in terms of the signal transduction: vitamin D receptor-mediated signals 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3; protein kinase A-mediated signals (PTH, PTHrP, PGE2, and IL-1); and gp130-mediated signals (IL-6, IL-11, oncostatin M, and leukemia inhibitory factor). All of these osteoclast-inducing factors appear to act on osteoblastic cells to commonly induce osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF), which recognizes osteoclast progenitors and prepares them to differentiate into mature osteoclasts. This line of approach will undoubtedly produce new ways to treat several metabolic bone diseases caused by abnormal osteoclast recruitment such as osteoporosis, osteopetrosis, Paget's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and periodontal disease.
It has been reported that soluble interleukin (IL)-6 receptor (sIL-6R) is detected in the serum of healthy individuals and its level is increased in patients with multiple myeloma and human ...immunodeficiency virus infection. Although several reports have suggested that sIL-6R potentiates IL-6 action, its physiological role remains unclear. In this study, we examined the role of sIL-6R on osteoclast formation by IL-6, using a coculture of mouse osteoblasts and bone marrow cells. Neither recombinant mouse IL-6 (mIL-6) nor mouse sIL-6R (smIL-6R) induced osteoclast-like multinucleated cell (MNC) formation when they were added separately. In contrast, simultaneous treatment with mIL-6 and smIL-6R strikingly induced MNC formation. These MNCs satisfied major criteria of authentic osteoclasts, such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity, calcitonin receptors, and pit formation on dentine slices. The MNC formation induced by mIL-6 and smIL-6R was dose-dependently inhibited by adding monoclonal anti-mouse IL-6R antibody (MR16-1). It is likely that osteoblasts and osteoclast progenitors are capable of transducing a signal from a complex of IL-6 and sIL-6R through gp130, even though they may have no or a very small number of IL-6Rs. Factors such as IL-11, oncostatin M, and leukemia inhibitory factor, which are known to exert their functions through gp130 (the signal-transducing chain of IL-6R), also induced MNC formation in our coculture system. These results suggest that increased circulating or locally produced sIL-6R induces osteoclast formation in the presence of IL-6 mediated by a mechanism involving gp130. This may play an important physiological or pathological role in conditions associated with increased osteoclastic bone resorption.
Soybean isoflavones exhibit selective effects on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women as well as in ovariectomized animals. Recently, the role of estrogen in bone metabolism in men has also ...received attention, because a man with a mutated estrogen receptor-α (ERα) gene will exhibit osteoporotic phenotypes. To examine the possible role of genistein, a soybean isoflavone, in bone marrow hemopoiesis and bone metabolism in men, male mice were orchidectomized (orx) and treated with genistein (0.4–0.8 mg/day) or 17β-estradiol (E2; 0.03 μg/day) subcutaneously for 3 weeks. In orx mice, seminal vesicle weight decreased markedly, and it was not affected by the administration of genistein or E2. The number of bone marrow cells was markedly increased after orx, and the majority was B-220 weakly positive pre-B cells. Increased B-lymphopoiesis was restored completely by E2 or genistein administration. In orx mice, bone mineral density of the femur decreased markedly, and this bone loss was prevented to a significant extent by treatment with genistein as well as E2. Histomorphometry showed that the trabecular bone volume in the femoral distal metaphysis decreased markedly after orx, and genistein and E2 prevented this bone loss. These results suggest that soybean isoflavones prevent bone loss due to androgen deficiency in males.
To examine the possible involvement of IL-6 in bone metabolism, a mouse osteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1) and primary osteoblast-like cells from fetal mouse calvaria were cultured with several ...systemic and local bone-resorbing agents and their expression of IL-6 mRNA was determined. Local bone-resorbing agents such as IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and LPS greatly induced IL-6 mRNA expression in both MC3T3-E1 cells and primary osteoblast-like cells. Parathyroid hormone slightly increased expression of IL-6 mRNA in primary osteoblast-like cells but not in MC3T3-E1 cells. Neither IL-6 nor 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 increased expression of IL-6 mRNA in either of the osteoblast-like cells. In agreement with the expression of IL-6 mRNA, biologically active IL-6 was produced in response to the treatment with IL-1 alpha, TNF-alpha, and LPS in MC3T3-E1 cells. Adding IL-6 dose dependently stimulated the release of 45Ca from prelabeled fetal mouse calvaria. Simultaneously adding suboptimal concentrations of IL-6 and IL-1 alpha induced bone resorption cooperatively. In accord with the increase in the release of 45Ca by IL-6, there were three times as many osteoclasts in the bone sections of calvaria cultured with IL-6 for 5 days as in the controls. IL-6 slightly suppressed alkaline phosphatase activity and collagen synthesis in MC3T3-E1 cells. These results indicate that IL-6 is also produced by osteoblasts, preferentially in response to local bone-resorbing agents, and it induces bone resorption both alone and in concert with other bone-resorbing agents.