Cross talk of dual-signal transduction systems in the regulation of DNA synthesis by parathyroid hormone in osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells

Continuous infusion of PTH1-34 delayed fracture healing in mice

Hyperparathyroidism, which is increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in the blood, could cause delayed or non-union of bone fractures. But, no study has yet demonstrated the effects of excess continuous PTH exposure, such as that seen in hyperparathyroidism, for fracture healing. Continuous human PTH_1–34 (teriparatide) infusion using an osmotic pump was performed for stabilized tibial fractures in eight-week-old male mice to determine the relative bone healing process compared with saline treatment. Radiographs and micro-computed tomography showed delayed but increased calcified callus formation in the continuous PTH_1–34 infusion group compared with the controls. Histology and quantitative histomorphometry confirmed that continuous PTH_1–34 treatment significantly increased the bone callus area at a later time point after fracture, since delayed endochondral ossification occurred. Gene expression analyses showed that PTH_1–34 resulted in sustained Col2a1 and reduced Col10a1 expression, consistent with delayed maturation of the cartilage tissue during fracture healing. In contrast, continuous PTH_1–34 infusion stimulated the expression of both Bglap and Acp5 through the healing process, in accordance with bone callus formation and remodeling. Mechanical testing showed that continuously administered PTH_1–34 increased the maximum load on Day 21 compared with control mice. We concluded that continuous PTH_1–34 infusion resulted in a delayed fracture healing process due to delayed callus cell maturation but ultimately increased biomechanical properties.

Teriparatide (human PTH1-34) compensates for impaired fracture healing in COX-2 deficient mice

Genetic ablation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in mice is known to impair fracture healing. To determine if teriparatide (human PTH_1-34) can promote healing of Cox-2-deficient fractures, we performed detailed in vivo analyses using a murine stabilized tibia fracture model. Periosteal progenitor cell proliferation as well as bony callus formation was markedly reduced in Cox-2^-/- mice at day 10 post-fracture. Remarkably, intermittent PTH_1-34 administration increased proliferation of periosteal progenitor cells, restored callus formation on day 7, and enhanced bone formation on days 10, 14 and 21 in Cox-2-deficient mice. PTH_1-34 also increased biomechanical torsional properties at days 10 or 14 in all genotypes, consistent with enhanced bony callus formation by radiologic examinations. To determine the effects of intermittent PTH_1-34 for callus remodeling, TRAP staining was performed. Intermittent PTH_1-34 treatment increased the number of TRAP positive cells per total callus area on day 21 in Cox-2^-/- fractures. Taken together, the present findings indicate that intermittent PTH_1-34 treatment could compensate for COX-2 deficiency and improve impaired fracture healing in Cox-2-deficient mice.

Cyclin D1 as a target for the proliferative effects of PTH and PTHrP in early osteoblastic cells

PTHrP induced a proliferative cyclin D1 activation in low-density osteoblastic cells. The process was PKA and MAPK dependent and involved both AP-1 and CRE sites. In ectopic ossicles generated from implanted bone marrow stromal cells, PTH upregulated cyclin D1 after acute or intermittent anabolic treatment. These data suggest a positive role of PTH and PTHrP in the cell cycle of early osteoblasts.

INTRODUCTION

The mechanisms underlying the actions of PTH and its related protein (PTHrP) in osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and bone remodeling remain unclear. The action of PTH or PTHrP on the cell cycle during osteoblast proliferation was studied.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mouse calvarial MC3T3-E1 clone 4 cells were synchronized by serum starvation and induced with 100 nM PTHrP for 2-24 h under defined low serum conditions. Western blot, real-time PCR, EMSAs, and promoter/luciferase assays were performed to evaluate cyclin D1 expression. Pharmacological inhibitors were used to determine the relevant signaling pathways. Ectopic ossicles generated from implanted bone marrow stromal cells were treated with acute (a single 8- or 12-h injection) or intermittent anabolic PTH treatment for 7 days, and RNA and histologic analysis were performed.

RESULTS

PTHrP upregulated cyclin D1 and CDK1 and decreased p27 expression. Cyclin D1 promoter/luciferase assays showed that the PTHrP regulation involved both activator protein-1 (AP-1) and cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CRE) sites. AP-1 and CRE double mutants completely abolished the PTHrP effect of cyclin D1 transcription. Upregulation of cyclin D1 was found to be protein kinase A (PKA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) dependent in proliferating MC3T3-E1 cells. In vivo expression of cyclin D1 in ectopic ossicles was upregulated after a single 12-h PTH injection or intermittent anabolic PTH treatment for 7 days in early developing ossicles.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that PTH and PTHrP induce cyclin D1 expression in early osteoblastic cells and their action is developmental stage specific.

Effect of raloxifene and its interaction with human PTH on bone formation

We studied the of effects raloxifene alone or in combination with human PTH (hPTH) 1-34 in mineralizing cultures of SaOS-2 cells. Raloxifene (10(-8)-10(-6) M) increased bone nodule formation in cultures of SaOS-2 cells when added intermittently from day 8 to day 17. A single 24-h treatment with 10(-8) M hPTH (1-34) at day 8 reduced the nodule area by 75.6% at day 17, and raloxifene added concomitantly with hPTH (1-34) reduced this inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner. Raloxifene also reduced the hPTH (1-34)-induced inhibition of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The 10-fold stimulation of c-fos mRNA expression by hPTH (1-34) was not influenced by raloxifene co-treatment. The protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor 6-22 amide (1.7 nM) and the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor-bisindolylmaleimide 1 (10 nM) did not influence the separate effects of PTH and raloxifene on mineralized bone nodule formation. This is the first report on the interaction of PTH and raloxifene in an osteoblast culture system.

Parathyroid hormone-Smad3 axis exerts anti-apoptotic action and augments anabolic action of transforming growth factor beta in osteoblasts

Although several studies indicated that parathyroid hormone (PTH) exerted anabolic action on bone, its precise mechanisms have been unknown. On the other hand, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), abundantly stored in bone matrix, stimulates bone formation with a local injection in rodents. Although our previous study suggested that Smad3 is an important molecule for the stimulation of bone formation, no reports have been available about the effects of PTH on Smad3. In this present study, we examined the effects of PTH on Smad3 and the physiological significance in mouse osteoblastic cells. PTH promoted the expression of Smad3 mRNA within 10 min and the protein level in a dose-dependent manner in MC3T3-E1 and rat osteoblastic UMR-106 cells. Protein kinase A (PKA) activator as well as protein kinase C (PKC) activators increased Smad3 protein level, and both PKA and PKC inhibitors antagonized PTH-induced Smad3, indicating that PTH promotes the production of Smad3 through both PKA and PKC pathways. Next, we examined anti-apoptotic effects of PTH and Smad3 in these cells, employing trypan blue, transferase-mediated nick end labeling, and Hoechst staining. Pretreatment with PTH or overexpression of Smad3 decreased the number of apoptotic cells induced by dexamethasone and etoposide. Moreover, a dominant negative mutant, Smad3DeltaC, abrogated PTH-induced anti-apoptotic effects. On the other hand, PTH augmented TGF-beta-induced transcriptional activity. Furthermore, PTH enhanced TGF-beta-induced production of type I collagen, whereas it did not affect TGF-beta-reduced proliferation in MC3T3-E1 cells. These observations indicated that PTH amplified the anabolic effects of TGF-beta by accelerating the transcriptional activity of Smad3. In conclusion, we first demonstrated that PTH-Smad3 axis exerts anti-apoptotic effects in osteoblasts and reinforces the anabolic action by TGF-beta in osteoblasts. Hence, PTH-Smad3 axis might be involved in the bone anabolic action of PTH.

PTH2 receptor-mediated inhibitory effect of parathyroid hormone and TIP39 on cell proliferation

The parathyroid hormone (PTH) has dual mitogenic and inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, depending on the cell type and experimental conditions. PTH can signal via two different receptors, both positively coupled to the adenylyl cyclase/cyclic AMP pathway which can mimic some of the proliferative effects of PTH. We evaluated the role of the type-2 PTH (PTH2) receptor on cell proliferation in clonal human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells stably expressing the human PTH2 receptor. Using a cyclic AMP-responsive gene-reporter, we confirmed that the tuberoinfundibular peptide (TIP39) and various human (h) PTH fragments including hPTH-(1-34) were potent agonists (EC(50) in the range of 0.01-0.3 nM) whereas the bovine (b) PTH peptides b(Tyr(34))PTH-(7-34) and its tryptophan derivative b[D-Trp(12),Tyr(34)]PTH-(7-34) behaved as antagonists (IC(50)=117 and 249 nM, respectively). hPTH-(1-34) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation (EC(50)=8.5+/-0.4 nM) after 3 days and this effect was fully reversed by the tryptophan derivative antagonist. The same effect was observed with TIP39 which caused a 30% maximal inhibition. These findings reveal that PTH2 receptor activation can inhibit cell proliferation and might explain the dual functionality of PTH on cell proliferation.

Human parathyroid hormone (1-34) increases urinary excretion of lysosomal enzymes in rats

The kidney is the major target of parathyroid hormone (PTH), and PTH influences the urinary excretion of calcium, phosphate and hydrogen ions. It was previously reported that the urinary, excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), a lysosomal enzyme, transiently increases after human PTH (hPTH) (1-34) infusion in normal subjects and idiopathic hypoparathyroidism patients, but not in pseudohypoparathyroidism type I patients. Here we report that intravenous infusion of hPTH(1-34) to rats transiently increased the urinary excretion of various lysosomal enzymes, such as beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase as well as NAG. However, it did not affect the urinary excretion of tubular brush border membrane enzymes, i.e. alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Human PTH(1-34) dose-dependently increased the urinary excretion of NAG in rats with a peak at 30 min, which returned to a baseline within 60 min. The increase in the urinary NAG excretion caused by hPTH(1-34) positively correlated with the increase in the urinary cAMP excretion (r = 0.844, p < 0.01), and infusion of dibutyryl cAMP at a dose of 20 mg/kg similarly increased the urinary excretion of NAG. These results suggested that the increase in the urinary excretion of lysosomal enzymes caused by hPTH(1-34) may be a functional response to hPTH(1-34) occurring in the renal tubules via PTH signaling pathway.

Down-regulation of protein kinase C by parathyroid hormone and mezerein differentially modulates cAMP production and phosphate transport in opossum kidney cells

We examined the effects of prolonged exposure to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the protein kinase C (PKC) activator mezerein (MEZ) on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production, PKC activity, and Na(+)-dependent phosphate (Na/Pi) transport in an opossum kidney cell line (OK/E). A 5 minute exposure to PTH stimulated, while a 6 h incubation reduced, cAMP production, Na/Pi transport was maximally inhibited under desensitizing conditions and was not affected by reintroduction of the hormone. MEZ pretreatment (6 h) enhanced PTH-, cholera toxin (CTX)-, and forskolin (FSK)-stimulated cAMP production, suggesting enhanced Gs alpha coupling and increased adenylyl cyclase activity. However, PKA- and PKC-dependent regulation of Na/Pi were blocked in MEZ-treated cells. The PTH-induced decrease in cAMP production was associated with a reduction in membrane-associated PKC activity while MEZ-induced increases in cAMP production were accompanied by decreases in membrane and cytosolic PKC activity. Enhanced cAMP production was not accompanied by significant changes in PTH/PTH related peptide (PTHrP) receptor affinity or number, nor was the loss of Na/Pi transport regulation associated with changes in PKA activity. The results indicate that down-regulation of PKC by PTH or MEZ differentially modulates cAMP production and regulation of Na/Pi transport. The distinct effects of PTH and MEZ on PKC activity suggest that agonist-specific activation and/or down-regulation of PKC isozyme(s) may be involved in the observed changes in cAMP production and Na/Pi transport.

Parathyroid hormone exerts disparate effects on osteoblast differentiation depending on exposure time in rat osteoblastic cells

It has been reported that PTH exerts bone-forming effects in vivo when administered intermittently. In the present study, the anabolic effects of PTH(1-34) on osteoblast differentiation were examined in vitro. Osteoblastic cells isolated from newborn rat calvaria were cyclically treated with PTH(1-34) for the first few hours of each 48-h incubation cycle. When osteoblastic cells were intermittently exposed to PTH only for the first hour of each 48-h incubation cycle and cultured for the remainder of the cycle without the hormone, osteoblast differentiation was inhibited by suppressing alkaline phosphatase activity, bone nodule formation, and mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and PTH/PTHrP receptor. Experiments using inhibitors and stimulators of cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) and Ca2+/PKC demonstrated that cAMP/PKA was the major signal transduction system in the inhibitory action of PTH. In contrast, the intermittent exposure to PTH for the first 6 h of each 48-h cycle stimulated osteoblast differentiation. Both cAMP/ PKA and Ca2+/PKC systems appeared to be involved cooperatively in this anabolic effect. Continuous exposure to PTH during the 48-h incubation cycle strongly inhibited osteoblast differentiation. Although both cAMP/PKA and Ca2+/PKC were involved in the effect of continuous exposure to PTH, they appeared to act independently. A neutralizing antibody against IGF-I blocked the stimulatory effect on alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression of osteocalcin mRNA induced by the 6-h intermittent exposure. The inhibitory effect induced by the 1-h intermittent exposure was not affected by anti-IGF-I antibody. These results suggest that PTH has diverse effects on osteoblast differentiation depending on the exposure time in vitro mediated through different signal transduction systems. These in vitro findings explain at least in part the in vivo action of PTH that varies with the mode of administration.

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.

Second messenger signaling of c-fos gene induction by parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related peptide in osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells: its role in osteoblast proliferation and osteoclast-like cell formation

The present study was performed to clarify second messenger signaling in parathyroid hormone (PTH)-induced c-fos gene expression, to characterize the participation of the c-fos gene in the regulation of osteoblast proliferation and function as well as osteoclast-like cell formation by PTH and to compare these effects of PTH with those of PTH-related peptide (PTHrP). Both human (h) PTH-(1-34) and hPTHrP-(1-34) at 10(-8) M induced a transient c-fos gene expression to a similar degree in osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells, UMR-106. N6,O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (dbcAMP) as well as Sp-diastereoisomer of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphorothioate (Sp-cAMPS), an activator of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), induced a weak c-fos gene expression. Although Rp-diastereoisomer of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphorothioate (Rp-cAMPS), an inhibitor of PKA, almost completely antagonized dbCAMP- and Sp-cAMPS-induced expression of c-fos gene, it did not cause an obvious inhibition of PTH- or PTHrP-induced expression. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), induced an intense expression of the c-fos gene, while 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4 alpha PDD), incapable of activating PKC, and calcium ionophores (A23187 and ionomycin) did not. Protein kinase C inhibitor (H-7, 50 microM) completely blocked the expression of the c-fos gene by PTH as well as by PTHrP). Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (as-ODN) complementary to c-fos mRNA, which have been shown to inhibit its mRNA translation, at 1 microM significantly antagonized PTH- and PTHrP-induced inhibition of [3H] thymidine incorporation and stimulation of osteoclast-like cell formation in the presence of osteoblasts, but not an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity, compared to control oligodeoxynucleotides with same nucleotides as as-ODN but with a random sequence. The present study indicates the involvement of PKC system in c-fos gene expression by PTH as well as PTHrP and also indicates the involvement of the c-fos gene in the regulation of bone cell physiology by PTH and PTHrP.

Bidirectional modulation of parathyroid hormone-responsive adenylyl cyclase by protein kinase C

The temporal pattern with which phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), modulates parathyroid hormone (PTH)-responsive adenylyl cyclase (AC) was evaluated in a clonal osteoblast-like cell line (UMR-106). Brief (< or = 1 h) exposure of UMR-106 cells to PMA enhanced PTH stimulation of AC, whereas more prolonged PMA treatment decreased the PTH response, with maximum inhibition occurring at < or = 6 h. PMA treatment also resulted in initial activation followed by downregulation of PKC. Exposure of cells to 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, which activated but did not downregulate PKC, resulted in bidirectional modulation of PTH-responsive AC identical to that produced by PMA. Prolonged PMA exposure decreased PTH receptor number, as determined by radioligand binding studies, and reduced PTH receptor mRNA levels, assessed by Northern blot analysis. Forskolin activation of the catalytic subunit of AC was also decreased after prolonged PMA treatment. The results suggest that activation of PKC sequentially stimulates and then inhibits PTH responsiveness. Inhibition of the PTH response occurs by PKC actions exerted on the PTH receptor and the AC catalytic subunit.

Cross-talk of parathyroid hormone-responsive dual signal transduction systems in osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells: its role in PTH-induced homologous desensitization of intracellular calcium response

The present study was designed to characterize the cross-talk of parathyroid hormone (PTH)-responsive dual signal transduction systems (cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and calcium/protein kinase C [PKC]) and its participation in PTH-induced homologous desensitization of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in osteoblastic UMR-106 cells. Although our recent study revealed that prolonged (more than 2 h) pretreatment with PKC-activating phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) significantly decreased the PTH-stimulated cAMP production, pretreatment with PMA (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) but not 10(-6) M 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (PDD), incapable of activating PKC for 30 min significantly augmented 10(-7) M hPTH-(1-34)-stimulated cAMP production. H-7 (50 microM), a PKC inhibitor, significantly antagonized this PMA-induced effect. Pretreatment with 10(-6) M PMA for 30 min did not affect PTH receptor binding but significantly augmented a cAMP responsiveness to 10(-5) M forskolin and 1 microgram/ml cholera toxin. Pertussis toxin (0.5 microgram/ml) did not affect the PMA-induced augmentation of the PTH-stimulated cAMP production. PTH caused a complete homologous desensitization of [Ca2+]i response within 30 min. Pretreatment with 10(-4) M dibutyryl cAMP for 30 min and 6 h significantly reduced and completely blocked the PTH-induced increase in [Ca2+]i, respectively. Pretreatment with 10(-4) M Sp-cAMPs, a direct PKA activator, for 30 min completely blocked the PTH-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Rp-cAMPS (10(-4) M), an antagonist of PKA, slightly but significantly antagonized the PTH-induced homologous desensitization of [Ca2+]i response. The present study indicates that the time of exposure to PKC activation is a critical determinant in modulating the cAMP system, while PKA activation counterregulatorily acts on the [Ca2+]i system, and that PKA activation is linked to the PTH-induced homologous desensitization of [Ca2+]i response.