The adenylate cyclase response to parathyroid hormone in cultured rabbit marrow fibroblastic cells

Further characterization of cells expressing STRO-1 in cultures of adult human bone marrow stromal cells

Primitive cells of the osteoblast lineage are not well characterized but are known to be present within the STRO-1+ fraction of adult human bone and marrow. A survey of human osteosarcoma cell lines revealed that STRO-1 is expressed by MG-63 but not SaOS-2. Among murine cell lines tested, expression of STRO-1 was detected in the bipotential (adipocyte/osteoblast) line BMS-2 but not the committed osteoblast precursor MC3T3-E1. A proportion of cultured adult human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) consistently expressed the STRO-1 antigen. The expression of a range of cell surface antigens was studied in relation to STRO-1 by flow cytometry and several, including the bone/liver/kidney isoform of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), were found to subtype the STRO-1+ population of BMSCs. Further, BMSCs dual-labeled with antibodies recognizing STRO-1 and ALP could be assigned to one of four fractions: STRO-1-/ALP-, STRO-1+/ALP-, STRO-1+/ALP+, and STRO-1-/ALP+. Cells from each fraction could be isolated in high purity and, when recultured, remained viable and exhibited a limited degree of phenotypic stability. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, cells in the four fractions were found to express different levels of transcripts for the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHr) and bone sialoprotein (BSP). The expression of transcripts for the nuclear transcription factor core-binding factor alpha 1/osteoblast-specific factor-2 (CBFA1/OSF2) was restricted to those fractions expressing STRO-1 and/or ALP. Treatment with 10 nM dexamethasone consistently increased the proportion of cells present in those fractions which expressed the highest levels of transcripts for PTHr and BSP (STRO-1+/ALP+ and STRO-1-/ALP+) while simultaneously decreasing the proportion present in the STRO-1+/ALP- fraction. In conclusion, the expression of STRO-1 in vitro remains a characteristic of less well differentiated cells of the osteoblast lineage; in cultures of BMSCs and in established human osteosarcoma cell lines, there is an inverse association between the expression of STRO-1 and ALP; dual labeling of BMSCs with monoclonal antibodies recognizing STRO-1 and ALP permits the identification and isolation of cells of the osteoblast lineage at different stages of differentiation.

The role of glucocorticoids and prostaglandin E2 in the recruitment of bone marrow mesenchymal cells to the osteoblastic lineage: positive and negative effects

The role of glucocorticoids in bone formation presents a problem because although pharmacological doses in vivo give rise to osteoporosis, physiological concentrations are required for osteoblast (OB) differentiation in vitro. To try and rationalize this dichotomy, we investigated the effect of dexamethasone on the recruitment of OB precursors present in bone marrow. Using the CFU-f assay, we can measure (1) total colony formation; (2) the osteoblastic differentiation of the colonies defined as their ability to express alkaline phosphatase, synthesize collagen, and to calcify; and (3) colony expansion as either average colony surface area or average colony number. In control cultures and in the presence of 10(-10)-10(-9) M dexamethasone, colony formation and total cell number was maximal, but the addition of PGE2 had no effect on colony number and very few colonies expressed the OB phenotype. In the presence of 10(-8)-10(-7) M dexamethasone, colony numbers and total cell numbers were reduced but were increased by the addition of PGE2, the average colony cell number and surface area were relatively unchanged and a proportion of the colonies expressed APase, calcified and synthesized collagen. In cultures containing 10(-6)-10(-5) M dexamethasone, colony numbers were further reduced but were stimulated by the addition of PGE2 and some colonies differentiated; however, colony expansion was dramatically reduced by up to 80%. These results suggest that physiological levels of glucocorticoids are necessary for OB differentiation and allow the control of OB recruitment by PGE2. High levels of glucocorticoids drastically reduce proliferation of the OB precursors leading to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Size-selective comparison of fetal calvarial versus adult marrow osteogenic colony-forming entities

BACKGROUND

This experiment was designed to test whether a single cell suspension of adult marrow-derived cells will form mineralized bone nodules in vitro.

METHODS

At the time of plating, cellular dispersions of either young adult rabbit bone marrow cells or, as controls, of fetal mouse calvarial cells were size-selected by sieving through various pore-size plastic meshes.

RESULTS

When marrow-derived cells were passed through a 105 microns pore-size mesh, fibroblastic cell cultures grew in vitro in six of six attempts; however, marrow cell clusters backwashed off 105 microns pore-size meshes produced osteogenic colonies in vitro in six of six trials. Fetal calvarial cells filtered through a 30 microns pore-size mesh yielded osteogenic nodules in culture in six of six tests.

CONCLUSIONS

For adult bone marrow, cell clumps or clusters larger than 105 microns produced bone colonies under standard cell culture conditions, whereas for fetal calvarial cells, the initiating agent was smaller than 30 microns.

Bone marrow stromal colony formation requires stimulation by haemopoietic cells

In mouse bone marrow cultures plated at low cell density, stromal colonies formed from colony-forming unit fibroblastic (CFUf) failed to develop unless the cultures were supplemented with irradiated feeder cells. Colony-stimulating activity was produced by irradiated bone marrow and spleen cells and by platelets, was dose dependent, not species specific and was maximal at high serum concentration. The efficiency of CFUf colony formation was 1.7 x 10(-4) for mechanically disaggregated and 14.6 x 10(-4) for trypsinised bone marrow cells. The colonies formed in the presence of feeder cells comprised hundreds of fibroblasts. In the absence of feeder cells, small fibroblast foci and single fibroblasts only were present in cultures. PDGF, IL-3 and EGF did not substitute for the colony-stimulating activity of feeder cells. These results suggest that CFUf colony formation requires growth factor(s) released by platelets and megakaryocytes which remain to be identified.

Mineralized nodule formation in rat bone marrow stromal cell culture without beta-glycerophosphate

Rat bone marrow stromal cells were cultured in the presence of 10 nM dexamethasone and various concentrations of beta-glycerophosphate. At day 12-15, some nodules consisting of polygonal cells were formed in all culture conditions, and these nodules were mineralized 2-3 days later. beta-Glycerophosphate significantly enhanced nodule formation at concentrations of not less than 5 mM. The mineralized nodules formed in the absence of beta-glycerophosphate were examined using phase-contrast microscopy, undemineralized and demineralized tissue histology, histochemistry for alkaline phosphatase, immunohistochemistry for type I, II, and III collagen, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, electron diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Mineralized nodules had histological characteristic similar to bone. Cells associated with nodules exhibited high alkaline phosphatase activity, and extracellular matrix of the nodules predominantly consisted of type I collagen. X-Ray microanalysis showed the presence of Ca and P in the mineralized area, and electron diffraction pattern showed the mineral to have apatite crystal structure. Moreover FT-IR indicated that the mineral was a mixture of hydroxyapatite and carbonateapatite. From these observations, it is concluded that the mineralized nodules formed in our culture system are truly bone-like.

Contribution of marrow stromal cells to the regulation of osteoblast proliferation in rats: evidence for the involvement of insulin-like growth factors

Fibroblast-like marrow stromal cells are believed to play a role in the maintenance of osteoblast populations at the marrow-bone interface. We now report that this interaction may be very specific. Stromal cell conditioned medium (SC-CM) stimulated DNA synthesis and proliferation in culture of neonatal rat calvarial osteoblasts at low concentrations (1.25-5%), but was inhibitory at 10%. At growth promoting effective concentrations, the activity of osteoblast alkaline phosphatase was decreased. This action was selective since SC-CM failed to promote the growth of rat calvarial fibroblasts. Characterization of the SC-CM indicated the cells produced IGF-I and -II and a wide range of molecular weight fractions with putative stimulatory action (FPLC analysis using Superose 12 and 6 gel permeation columns). HPAE-PAD analysis showed that some elements were glycosylated, and the composition suggested the presence of N- and O-linked oligosaccharide chains. Because rat marrow stromal fibroblast-like cells produce a number of osteotropic factors which affect calvarial osteoblast growth, these interactions may be important to considerations about the etiology of the osteoporoses.