Michael J. Marshall

RANK, RANKL and osteoprotegerin in bone biology and disease

Upon the discovery of RANK, RANKL and OPG in the late 1990s, their importance in the maintenance of the skeletal structure and their dramatic role in bone disease were largely unexpected. In recent years the understanding of these proteins, in particular their regulation, has greatly increased. This review aims to bring the interested reader up to date with the latest news and views on the mechanisms controlling bone resorption in normal and pathological conditions.

Heat shock proteins form part of a danger signal cascade in response to lipopolysaccharide and GroEL.

An increasing number of cell types, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), have been demonstrated to release heat shock proteins (Hsps). In this paper we investigate further the hypothesis that Hsps are danger signals. PBMCs and Jurkat cells released Hsp70 (0·22 and 0·7 ng/106 cells, respectively) into medium over 24 h at 37°C. Release of Hsp70 was stimulated 10‐fold by GroEL (P < 0·001) and more than threefold by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (P < 0·001). Although Hsp60 could be detected in the medium of cells cultured at 37°C for 24 h, the low rates of release were due probably to cell damage. Significant release of Hsp60 was observed when Jurkat cells were exposed to GroEL (2·88 ng/106 cells) or LPS (1·40 ng/106 cells). The data are consistent with the hypothesis that Hsp70 and Hsp60 are part of a danger signalling cascade in response to bacterial infection.

Decreased osteogenesis, increased cell senescence and elevated Dickkopf-1 secretion in human fracture non union stromal cells

The delicately orchestrated process of bone fracture healing is not always successful and long term non union of fractured bone occurs in 5-20% of all cases. Atrophic fracture non unions have been described as the most difficult to treat and this is thought to arise through a cellular and local failure of osteogenesis. However, little is known about the presence and osteogenic proficiency of cells in the local area of non union tissue. We have examined the growth and differentiation potential of cells isolated from human non union tissues compared with normal human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC). We report the isolation and culture expansion of a population of non union stromal cells (NUSC) which have a CD profile similar to that of BMSC, i.e. CD34-ve, CD45-ve and CD105+ve. The NUSC demonstrated multipotentiality and differentiated to some extent along chondrogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic lineages. However, and importantly, the NUSC showed significantly reduced osteogenic differentiation and mineralization in vitro compared to BMSC. We also found increased levels of cell senescence in NUSC compared to BMSC based on culture growth kinetics and cell positivity for senescence associated beta galactosidase (SA-beta-Gal) activity. The reduced capacity of NUSC to form osteoblasts was associated with significantly elevated secretion of Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) which is an important inhibitor of Wnt signalling during osteogenesis, compared to BMSC. Conversely, treating BMSC with levels of rhDkk-1 that were equivalent to those levels secreted by NUSC inhibited the capacity of BMSC to undergo osteogenesis. Treating BMSC with NUSC conditioned medium also inhibited the capacity of the BMSC to undergo osteogenic differentiation when compared to their treatment with BMSC conditioned medium. Our results suggest that the development of fracture non union is linked with a localised reduced capacity of cells to undergo osteogenesis, which in turn is associated with increased cell senescence and Dkk-1 secretion.

Osteoprotegerin is produced when prostaglandin synthesis is inhibited causing osteoclasts to detach from the surface of mouse parietal bone and attach to the endocranial membrane.

Osteoclast differentiation and activation is controlled, at least in part, by the counterbalancing influences of osteoprotegerin ligand (OPGL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to inhibit bone loss in vivo and bone resorption in vitro, and this is associated with a loss of osteoclasts from the bone surface. We test the hypothesis that OPG mediates the inhibition of osteoclast activity that occurs with indomethacin in the mouse calvaria. Recombinant human OPG, like indomethacin, was found to cause osteoclasts to detach from the bone surface and attach to the adjacent endocranial membrane (periosteum). Recombinant human OPG also inhibited the stimulatory effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) on osteoclast adhesion to bone after an incubation with indomethacin. A function-blocking antibody to OPG and soluble human OPGL both inhibited the effect of indomethacin, leaving active osteoclasts on the bone. OPG activity was detected in the culture medium from indomethacin-treated bones and PTH, PGE2, 1,25D3, and dexamethasone all inhibited the production of OPG activity. We conclude that, in the absence of specific stimulators of bone resorption, OPG is produced by the mouse calvaria in vitro, which inhibits bone resorption by causing osteoclasts to detach from the bone surface.

Enzyme detection using phenazine methosulphate and tetrazolium salts: Interference by oxygen

Abstract Phenazine methosulphate (PMS) is used widely as an intermediate electron carrier for coupling the production of NADH or NADPH to the reduction of tetrazolium salts to coloured formazans. Nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT) is the most popular tetrazolium salt for this purpose, for both spectrophotometric assay of dehydrogenases and the visualisation of dehydrogenases after electrophoresis or in tissue sections. It has been widely assumed (1) that oxygen does not interfere with this reaction, even though it is known that reduced PMS reacts very readily with oxygen (2–4). This assumption has been supported in a study by Altman (5). Sowerby and Ottaway (6) observed that oxygen reduced the yield of formazan in their assay for glutamine, but they failed to detect its consumption during the reaction and postulated other reasons for their nonquantitative results. Oxygen always appears to be ignored when this reaction is used to stain enzyme zones in histochemistry or after electrophoresis. We report here that atmospheric oxygen interferes seriously with this reaction under a wide range of conditions, especially at low rates of reduced pyridine nucleotide production.

Osteoclast recruitment in mice is stimulated by (3-amino-1-hydroxypropylidene)-1,1-bisphosphonate

SummaryThough some evidence suggests that bisphosphonates (BPs) act directly on osteoclasts to inhibit bone resorption, other evidence suggests that they inhibit the development of the osteoclast. We found an increase in osteoclast recruitment in 2-day-old mice given (3-amino-1-hydroxypropylidene)-1,1-bisphosphonate (APD). A threefold increase in 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled osteoclast nuclei was observed on mouse parietal bones 3 days after APD injection. This suggests that inhibition of osteoclast development is not an action of APD in mice of this age. The mechanism of the increased recruitment was investigated. As osteoclast progenitors were not detected on parietal bonesin vitro, we looked for an increase in circulating monocytes to account for the recruitment. No such increase was found, but when51Cr-labeled bone marrow was injected intraperitoneally into mice given APD there was an increase in accumulation of51Cr in calvaria and in femur and tibia over controls. This increase did not occur when51Cr-labeled erythrocytes or free51Cr was injected. We conclude that APD causes increased recruitment of osteoclast precursors by increasing the avidity of bone for hematopoietically derived cells.

Increased circulating Dickkopf-1 in Paget's disease of bone

UNLABELLED Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) is a secreted inhibitor of Wnt signaling which in adults regulates bone turnover. Dkk-1 over-production is implicated in osteolytic disease where it inhibits bone formation and stimulates bone breakdown. Recently it was reported that osteoblastic cells from Pagets disease of bone (PDB) over-expressed Dkk-1. OBJECTIVE To see if increased Dkk-1 was detected in serum from patients with PDB. RESULTS Dkk-1 and total serum alkaline phosphatase activity (tsAP) were significantly elevated in sera from PDB patients. Patients with polyostotic PDB had significantly higher levels of tsAP but not Dkk-1, than monostotic patients. TsAP but not Dkk-1, was significantly lower in sera from bisphosphonate treated versus untreated PDB patients. Dkk-1 and tsAP were not significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS Dkk-1 may be a useful biomarker of PDB and we speculate that Dkk-1 may play a central role in the etiology of PDB.

Superoxide dismutase: A direct, continuous linear assay using the oxygen electrode

Abstract A continuous method for the assay of superoxide dismutase activity which gives a linear recording of the reaction whose slope is a linear function of the amount of enzyme added is described. An oxygen electrode is used to measure the consumption of oxygen which results from the photochemical generation of superoxide from dissolved oxygen followed by its dismutation to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Excess superoxide is scavenged by a tetrazolium salt which oxidizes it back to oxygen.

Donor origin of the in vitro hematopoietic microenvironment after marrow transplantation in mice

Bone marrow stroma from radiochimeric mice was established in culture. The polymorphic enzyme glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) was used to determine the proportions of donor and recipient present in the original bone marrow and in cultured stroma. Bone marrow initially containing 95% donor GPI, when cultured and subsequently passaged for up to 8 weeks remained about 70% donor GPI. We conclude that many cultured stromal cells are donor derived in our radiochimeras and these are probably of hematopoietic origin.

Interleukin-6 does not mediate the stimulation by prostaglandin E2, parathyroid hormone, or 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 of osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption in neonatal mouse parietal bones

The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) was produced by neonatal mouse parietal bones during a 6- or 48-hour culture period in response to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and bovine parathyroid hormone (PTH) 1-34 fragment but not 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3]. At the same time there was an increase in tartrate-resistant, acid phosphatasepositive osteoclasts (TRAP+OC) with all three osteotropic effectors over 6 hours, and an increase in 45Ca release over 48 hours. TRAP+OC numbers on PGE2-stimulated bones were positively correlated with IL-6 concentration. Our aim was to determine if IL-6 mediated this response. Recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6) was added to parietal bones in culture at concentrations within the range that PGE2 or PTH would produce during incubation. However, over 6 or 48 hours, rhIL-6 did not stimulate TRAP+OC to increase in number nor did it cause an increase in calcium release over 48 hours. Adding an antibody against mouse IL-6 to bone cultures stimulated with PTH or PGE2 neutralized the resulting IL-6 bioactivity by up to 92% but did not inhibit TRAP+OC formation. We conclude that although IL-6 is produced in response to two important stimulators of bone resorption, it does not mediate osteoclast differentiation or bone resorption in this model.