Modulation of prostaglandin E2-induced Ca2+ influx by steroid hormones in osteoblast-like cells

Effect of neonatal glucocorticoid treatment on bone mineralization of adult nontreated, dexamethasone-treated or vitamin D3-treated rats

1. Single neonatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment significantly decreased the body weights of 5-month old male rats. There was no significant difference in females. 2. Bone mineral density (BMD) of neonatally DEX-treated male rats and bone mineral content (BMC) of double DEX-treated (neonatally and in adult age) males were reduced. 3. BMD and BMC calculated to body weight were highly significantly increased after neonatal or double DEX treatment in males. In females only BMC/body weight was elevated after double DEX treatment. 4. Adult vitamin D treatment completely compensated for the changes caused by single or double DEX treatment. 5. The results call attention to the imprinting effects of neonatal glucocorticoid treatment, which were manifested in changes of body weight and bone mineral mass. At the same time the gender-dependence of this phenomenon was demonstrated.

Effect of single neonatal vitamin D3 treatment (hormonal imprinting) on the bone mineralization of adult non-treated and dexamethasone treated rats

Hormonal imprinting (the first encounter between the hormone and receptor after birth) is needed for the normal development of receptor. Presence of the appropriate hormone in excess, or its absence, as well as presence of hormone-like molecules able to bind to the maturing receptor in this time, can cause faulty imprinting. In this experiment the effect of neonatal treatment with a single dose of 0.05 mg cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) was studied by bone densitometry. The treatment caused significant decrease of body weight in 3-month old females and also significant reduction of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in males. Dexamethasone treatment of 3-month old rats for 10 days increased BMD in males and BMC in females without affecting body weight. The double treatment (vitamin D neonatally and dexamethasone when adult) decreased the body weight of both sexes and increased BMD in males, and BMC, BMD/bw and BMC/bw in both sexes, related to the control or the only vitamin D treated groups. Considering the hormonal imprinting effect of neonatal vitamin D treatment at glucocorticoid receptorial level in other experiments, similar effects also can be supposed for vitamin D itself, manifested in the changes of bone mineralization.

Retinoic acid suppresses interleukin-6 synthesis induced by prostaglandins in osteoblasts

We previously reported that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) induces the synthesis of interleukin-6 (IL-6) via cAMP production in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells, and that, on the other hand, prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) stimulates IL-6 synthesis via activation of protein kinase C. In the present study, we examined the effect of retinoic acid on IL-6 synthesis induced by these two prostaglandins in MC3T3-E1 cells. Retinoic acid inhibited the IL-6 synthesis induced by PGF2alpha or PGE1 in a dose-dependent manner in the range between 0.1 and 10 nM. Retinoic acid also suppressed the IL-6 synthesis stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, an activator of protein kinase C. The IL-6 synthesis induced by cholera toxin, forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP was inhibited by retinoic acid. However, retinoic acid had little effect on the IL-6 synthesis induced by interleukin-1. These results indicate that retinoic acid inhibits IL-6 synthesis induced by prostaglandins in osteoblasts as follows: the inhibitory effect on the PGE1-induced IL-6 synthesis is exerted at a point downstream from cAMP, and the inhibitory effect on the PGF2alpha-induced IL-6 synthesis is exerted at a point downstream from protein kinase C.

Effect of vitamin D3 on interleukin-6 synthesis induced by prostaglandins in osteoblasts

In previous studies, we have shown that prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) stimulates interleukin-6 (IL-6) synthesis via activation of protein kinase C in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells, and that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) induces the synthesis of IL-6 through protein kinase A activation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of vitamin D3 on IL-6 synthesis in MC3T3-E1 cells. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), an active form of vitamin D3, inhibited the IL-6 synthesis induced by PGF2alpha or PGE1. On the contrary, 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, an inactive form of vitamin D3, had no effect. 1,25-(OH)2D3 did not affect the IL-6 synthesis stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, an activator of protein kinase C. The IL-6 synthesis induced by cholera toxin or forskolin was significantly inhibited by 1,25-(OH)2D3. However, 1,25-(OH)2D3 had little effect on the IL-6 synthesis induced by dibutyryl cAMP. These results strongly suggest that 1,25-(OH)2D3, an active form of vitamin D3, inhibits IL-6 synthesis at both the protein kinase C pathway and the protein kinase A pathway in osteoblasts.

Evaluation of signal transduction mechanisms for the mitogenic effects of prostaglandin E2 in normal human bone cells in vitro

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is one of the most potent stimulators of bone formation in vivo. In these studies, we investigated the mechanism(s) underlying PGE2 effects on human bone formation by evaluating the effects of PGE2 on normal human bone cell (HBC) proliferation in vitro. Cell proliferation of normal HBCs was increased by PGE2 as measured by increased [3H]thymidine incorporation after 18 h and increased cell number after 48 h of treatment. The effect of PGE2 to stimulate cell proliferation was biphasic, with a maximum stimulation between 0.01 and 1.0 nM PGE2 in different experiments. At higher concentrations of PGE2 (0.1 microM), HBC proliferation was inhibited. Signal transduction for PGE2 has been reported to include both protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) pathways. In these studies, concentrations of PGE2 which stimulated cell proliferation did not increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production. However, higher concentrations of PGE2 increased cAMP production (7- to 12-fold at 1-10 microM) and inhibited cell proliferation. Because stimulators of PKC, such as phorbol esters, have been reported to stimulate cell proliferation, the action of PKC inhibitors were tested. Both staurosporine and sangivamysin (PKC inhibitors) totally abrogated the effect of PGE2 to stimulate cell proliferation. Additional studies revealed that PGE2 increased 45Ca uptake in a dose-dependent manner with a peak response occurring between 1 and 10 nM PGE2 concentrations in different experiments. Furthermore, when the calcium channel blocker, verapamil, was added to HBC cultures treated with PGE2, the stimulation of 45Ca uptake and cell proliferation by PGE2 was completely blocked. These data suggest that PGE2 increases cell proliferation through activation of a verapamil-sensitive calcium channel. In conclusion, these data are consistent with a model in which stimulation of HBC proliferation by low doses of PGE2 is mediated by an enhancement of phospholipase C, which results in both an increase in PKC activity and an increase in intracellular calcium influx.

Effect of vitamin D3 on prostaglandin E2 synthesis in osteoblast-like cells

We previously showed that prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha stimulates PGE2 synthesis in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells, and that the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) amplifies the effect of PGF2 alpha through the potentiation of phospholipase A2 activity (H. Tokuda, Y. Oiso and O. Kozawa, J Cell Biochem. 48: 262-268, 1992). In the present study, we investigated the effects of vitamin D3 on PGF2 alpha-induced PGE2 synthesis in MC3T3-E1 cells. The pretreatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3], an active form of vitamin D3, significantly inhibited the PGF2 alpha-induced PGE2 synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in the range between 1 pM and 1 nM. This inhibitory effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was dependent on the time of pretreatment up to 8 h. On the contrary, the pretreatment with 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, an inactive form of vitamin D3, had little effect on the PGF2 alpha-induced PGE2 synthesis in these cells. However, the pretreatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 no longer affected the amplification of PGF2 alpha-induced PGE2 synthesis by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, a PKC activator. These results strongly suggest that 1,25-(OH)2D3 inhibits PGF2 alpha-induced PGE2 synthesis in osteoblast-like cells, however, the activation of PKC reverses this inhibitory effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3.

Effects of glucocorticoid on signalling by prostaglandin E2 in osteoblast-like cells

It is well-known that osteoporosis is a common complication of patients with glucocorticoid excess. We previously reported that dexamethasone inhibits Ca2+ influx induced by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a potent bone resorbing agent, in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells (O. Kozawa, H. Tokuda, J. Kotoyori, A. Suzuki, Y. Ito and Y. Oiso, Prostagland Leuk Essent Fatty Acids, in press). In the present study, we examined the effects of dexamethasone on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation and phosphoinositide hydrolysis by PGE2 in MC3T3-E1 cells. The pretreatment with dexamethasone significantly inhibited cAMP accumulation stimulated by PGE2 in a dose-dependent manner in the range between 10 pM and 1 nM in MC3T3-E1 cells. This effect of dexamethasone was dependent on the time of pretreatment up to 8 h. Dexamethasone also inhibited the cAMP accumulation induced by NaF, an activator of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein, or forskolin which directly activates adenylate cyclase. In contrast, dexamethasone had little effect on the formation of inositol phosphates stimulated by PGE2 in MC3T3-E1 cells. These results strongly suggest that glucocorticoid modulates the signal transduction by PGE2 in osteoblast-like cells and that it inhibits PGE2-induced cAMP production without affecting PGE2-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis.