Effect of estrogens on renal responsiveness to parathyroid hormone in elderly female subjects

Role of estrogen in avian osteoporosis

One of the difficulties associated with commercial layer production is the development of osteoporosis in hens late in the production cycle. In light of this fact and because of hens' unique requirements for Ca, many studies have focused on the regulation of Ca and the role of estrogen in this process. The time course of estrogen synthesis over the productive life of hens has been well documented; increased circulating estrogen accompanies the onset of sexual maturity while decreases signal a decline in egg production prior to a molt. Numbers of estrogen receptors decrease with age in numerous tissues. The parallel changes in calcium-regulating proteins, primarily Calbindin D28K, and in the ability of duodenal cells to transport Ca, are thought to occur as a result of the changes in estrogen, and are also reversible by the molt process. In addition to the traditional model of estrogen action, evidence now exists for a possible nongenomic action of estrogen via membrane-bound receptors, demonstrated by extremely rapid surges of ionized Ca in chicken granulosa cells in response to 17beta-estradiol. Estrogen receptors have also been discovered in duodenal tissue, and tamoxifen, which binds to the estrogen receptor, has been shown to cause a rapid increase in Ca transport in the duodenum. In addition, recent evidence also suggests that mineralization of bone per se may not explain entirely the etiology of osteoporosis in the hen but that changes in the collagen matrix may contribute through decreases in bone elasticity. Taken together, these studies suggest that changes in estrogen synthesis and estrogen receptor populations may underlie the age-related changes in avian bone. As with postmenopausal women, dietary Ca and vitamin D are of limited benefit as remedies for osteoporosis in the hen.

Reciprocal modulation by sex steroid and calciotrophic hormones of skeletal cell proliferation

We have demonstrated previously that 17 beta-estradiol (E2) stimulates cell proliferation in skeletal tissues, as measured by increased DNA synthesis and creatine kinase (CK) specific activity, and that calciotrophic hormones modulate E2 activity in rat osteoblastic sarcoma cells (ROS 17/2.8). Moreover, E2 failed to stimulate DNA synthesis in vitamin D-depleted female rat bone in the absence of prior i.p. injections of 1.25(OH)2D3. We have, therefore, studied the effects of pretreatment of cells by one hormone on their response to challenge by a second hormone. We now report reciprocal interactions of sex steroids and other hormones modulating bone formation on cell proliferation parameters in primary bone and cartilage cell cultures: these interactions can selectively augment or diminish cell responsiveness to a given hormone. Pretreatment of rat epiphyseal cartilage cell cultures with 1.25(OH)2D3, 24.25(OH)2D3 or parathyroid hormone (PTH) for 5 days, followed by E2 treatment for 24h, resulted in increased DNA synthesis compared to cultures pretreated with vehicle. Prostaglandin (PGE2) pretreatment blocked further response to E2. In the reciprocal case, rat epiphyseal cartilage cells, pretreated with E2, showed an increased response to PTH, a loss of the response to PGE2 or 24.25(OH)2D3 and an inhibition of CK activity and DNA synthesis by 1.25(OH)2D3, similar to the characteristic inhibitory action of 1.25(OH)2D3 in osteoblasts. By contrast, rat epiphyseal cartilage cells pretreated with testosterone showed no changes in response to PTH, 24.25(OH)2D3 or PGE2 and a decreased response to E2, but were stimulated by 1.25(OH)2D3. Rat embryo calvaria cell cultures behaved similarly to epiphyseal cartilage cultures except that 24.25(OH)2D3 pretreatment did not increase the response to E2. Reciprocally, pretreatment with E2 before exposure to calciotrophic hormones did not change the responses of rat embryo calvaria cell cultures to 1.25(OH)2D3 or 24.25(OH)2D3. These findings suggest that the mutual interactions between calciotrophic hormones and E2, demonstrated here in vitro, could selectively affect the responses of bone and cartilage cells to E2 by several mechanisms. These possibilities include increased E2 receptors and E2-stimulated differentiation of cartilage cells to more E2 responsive cells showing some characteristics of osteoblasts.

Direct effects of 17 beta-estradiol on trabecular bone in ovariectomized rats

High-affinity nuclear binding sites for 17 beta-estradiol (17 beta E2) were recently found in bone cells; however, the mechanism by which estrogen exerts its effect on bone in vivo is still unknown. To study if estrogen acts on bone directly, we used an experimental model in which test substances are infused locally into rat femur trabecular bone. Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150-160 g were ovariectomized (OVX) and 14 days later a polyethylene tube (1 mm in diameter) connected to an Alzet osmotic minipump was implanted into the distal femur 9 mm from the joint. 17 beta E2 (24 microliters/day at 0.01-1 nM), 17 alpha-estradiol (17 alpha E2) (24 microliters/day at 1 nM), or phosphate-buffered saline (NaCl, 8 g/liter; KCl, 0.2 g/liter; KH2PO4, 0.2 g/liter; Na2HPO4.7H2O, 2.16 g/liter) was infused for 8 days. The contralateral limb remained intact. Animals were sacrificed and bones were examined by histomorphometry. Ovariectomy caused a 50% loss in trabecular bone volume (TBV) in the secondary spongiosa (from 20.3% +/- 1.7% to 9.6% +/- 1.1%; mean +/- SEM), a 2-fold increase in osteoclast number (to 4.0 +/- 0.4 per mm), a 3-fold increase in relative resorption surfaces (to 24.8% +/- 2.9%), a 9-fold increase in osteoblast number (to 11.3 +/- 2.1 per mm), and an 8-fold increase in relative osteoid surface (to 9.6% +/- 1.7%). The local infusion of 17 beta E2 for 8 days into OVX rats (i) restored the TBV dose dependently to 75% and 85% of control (non-OVX) levels, at 0.1 nM and 1 nM 17 beta E2, respectively; (ii) decreased osteoclast number and the relative resorption surface to control (non-OVX) levels; and (iii) further increased osteoblast number and the relative osteoid surface dose dependently (by 5-fold at 1 nM 17 beta E2). Phosphate-buffered saline infusion was without effect. Infusion of 17 alpha E2 had no effect on TBV, osteoclast number, or resorption surface but increased slightly the osteoblast number and the osteoid surface. Its potency was 1/100 that of 17 beta E2. The local infusion of 17 beta E2 or 17 alpha E2 had no effect on body or uterine weight. We conclude from these findings that estrogen delivered directly to the bone of OVX rats in vivo at 2.4 and 24 fmol/day acted locally to inhibit bone resorption and stimulate bone formation.