High extracellular Ca2+ and Ca2+-sensing receptor agonists activate nonselective cation conductance in freshly isolated rat osteoclasts

Overview of Ca2+ signaling in lung cancer progression and metastatic lung cancer with bone metastasis

Intracellular Ca²⁺ ions that are thought to be one of the most important second messengers for cellular signaling, have a substantial diversity of roles in regulating a plethora of fundamental cellular physiology such as gene expression, cell division, cell motility and apoptosis. It has been suggestive of the Ca²⁺ signaling-dependent cellular processes to be tightly regulated by the numerous types of Ca²⁺ channels, pumps, exchangers and sensing receptors. Consequently, dysregulated Ca²⁺ homeostasis leads to a series of events connected to elevated malignant phenotypes including uncontrolled proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis, all of which are frequently observed in advanced stage lung cancer cells. The incidence of bone metastasis in patients with advanced stage lung cancer is estimated in a range of 30% to 40%, bringing about a significant negative impact on both morbidity and survival. This review dissects and summarizes the important roles of Ca²⁺ signaling transduction in contributing to lung cancer progression, and address the question: if and how Ca²⁺ signaling might have been engaged in metastatic lung cancer with bone metastasis, thereby potentially providing the multifaceted and promising solutions for therapeutic intervention.

Influence of osteoprotegerin on differentiation, activation, and apoptosis of Gaoyou duck embryo osteoclasts in vitro

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the influence of osteoprotegerin (OPG) on the differentiation, activation, and apoptosis of Gaoyou duck embryo osteoclasts cultured in vitro. Bone marrow cells were harvested from 23-d-old Gaoyou duck embryos and cultured in the presence of different concentrations of OPG (group A: no added factors, group B: 30 ng/mL of OPG, and group C: 100 ng/mL of OPG). Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, pit formation assay, and co-staining with tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-conjugated phalloidin and Hoechst 33258 were all performed to determine the number of TRAP-positive cells, bone resorption activity, and the level of apoptosis, respectively. The number of TRAP-positive cells and the net expansion of pit formations area peaked on d 7 of culture in all 3 groups. The number of osteoclasts and the total volume of pit formations in OPG-treated groups were significantly lower compared with group A (P < 0.05). At each time point, the net expansion of pit formations area correlated with the number of TRAP-positive cells. The OPG inhibited the de novo formation of filamentous (F)-actin rings and promoted the disruption of existing F-actin rings in mature osteoclasts. In addition, OPG induced apoptosis in mature osteoclasts, as demonstrated by morphological changes in the nuclei. In osteoclast precursors, OPG inhibited differentiation and downregulated the formation of F-actin rings. In mature osteoclasts, OPG suppressed activation and enhanced the development of apoptosis, observed as a decrease in the number of TRAP-positive cells, the disruption of F-actin rings and morphological changes of the nuclei.

Ca(2+) channels on the move

The versatility of Ca(2+) as an intracellular messenger derives largely from the spatial organization of cytosolic Ca(2+) signals, most of which are generated by regulated openings of Ca(2+)-permeable channels. Most Ca(2+) channels are expressed in the plasma membrane (PM). Others, including the almost ubiquitous inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)R) and their relatives, the ryanodine receptors (RyR), are predominantly expressed in membranes of the sarcoplasmic or endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Targeting of these channels to appropriate destinations underpins their ability to generate spatially organized Ca(2+) signals. All Ca(2+) channels begin life in the cytosol, and the vast majority are then functionally assembled in the ER, where they may either remain or be dispatched to other membranes. Here, by means of selective examples, we review two issues related to this trafficking of Ca(2+) channels via the ER. How do cells avoid wayward activity of Ca(2+) channels in transit as they pass from the ER via other membranes to their final destination? How and why do some cells express small numbers of the archetypal intracellular Ca(2+) channels, IP(3)R and RyR, in the PM?

Bisphosphonates stimulate an endogenous nonselective cation channel in Xenopus oocytes: potential mechanism of action

The mechanisms of action of bisphosphonates (BPs) have been poorly determined. Besides their actions on osteoclasts, these agents exhibit gastrointestinal complications. They have also recently been described as affecting various preparations that express an epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). To understand the effects of BP on ion channels and the ENaC in particular, we used the Xenopus oocyte expression system. Alendronate, and similarly risedronate, two aminobisphosphonates, caused a large stimulation of an endogenous nonselective cation conductance (NSCC). This stimulation averaged 63 ± 12 μS ( n = 18) 60 min after the addition of 2 mM alendronate. The effects on the endogenous NSCC were blocked by extracellular acidification to pH 6.4. On the other hand, alendronate caused a small inhibition of ENaC conductance at pH 7.4 and 6.4, but the effects at pH 6.4 were more readily observed in the absence of changes of the endogenous conductance. The effects on membrane capacitance were also markedly different, with a clear decrease at pH 6.4 and no consistent changes at pH 7.4. The effects on the endogenous channel were further augmented by genistein and were inhibited by a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, indicating the involvement of the tyrosine kinase pathway. Stimulation of NSCC with BP is expected to cause membrane depolarization and may explain, in part, its mechanisms of action in inhibiting osteoclasts.

In vitro effects of strontium ranelate on the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor

The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is activated by divalent cations and might mediate some of the effects of strontium ranelate, a new drug for the prevention and treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis. Here, we showed that the maximal effect of Sr(2+) was comparable to that observed for Ca(2+) for both the cloned rat CaSR expressed in Chinese hamster ovary [CHO(CaSR)] cells and the mouse CaSR constitutively expressed in AtT-20 cells as measured by the accumulation of [(3)H]inositol phosphates (IP) resulting from CaSR activation. Strontium ranelate also displayed comparable agonist activity for the CaSR in both cell lines. Sodium ranelate did not stimulate the IP response in CHO(CaSR) cells. The IP response resulting from activation of other G-protein-coupled receptors was potentiated by Sr(2+), suggesting that entry of Sr(2+) into the cells might influence phospholipase C activity. Modulation of the CaSR activity in bone cells by strontium ranelate may contribute to its reported antiosteoporotic effects.

Ca2+ as an extracellular signal in bone

Bone is the major sink and store for calcium and it fulfils essential roles in the maintenance of extracellular free ionised calcium concentration ([Ca2+]e) within its homeostatic range (1.1-1.3 mM). In response to acute hypercalcaemia or hypocalcaemia, Ca2+ is rapidly transported into or out of bone. Bone turnover (and therefore bone Ca2+ turnover) achieves the long-term correction of the [Ca2+]e by the metabolic actions of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, as they respectively incorporate or release Ca2+ from bone. These processes are regulated by the actions of hormones, such as parathyroid hormone (PTH), the release of which is a function of the [Ca2+]e, and is regulated by the action of the Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaR) in the parathyroid gland. Tissue culture studies indicate that bone cells also directly respond to increasing and decreasing [Ca2+]e in their vicinity, independently of the systemic factors. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to identify how the acute and long-term local changes in [Ca2+]e affect bone cells and the physiological processes they are involved in. Also, the molecular mechanisms which enable the bone cells to sense and respond to [Ca2+]e are not clear. Like the parathyroid cells, bone cells also express the CaR, and accumulating evidence indicates the involvement of this receptor in their responses to the changing extracellular ionic environment.

Na+ dependence of extracellular Ca2+-sensing mechanisms leading to activation of an outwardly rectifying Cl- channel in murine osteoclasts

An elevation in the extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) is a key signal for bone remodeling by inhibiting the resorbing activity of osteoclasts. The [Ca(2+)](o)-sensing responses include a variety of morphological and functional changes, but the underlying mechanisms are yet to be defined. This study was aimed at investigating the [Ca(2+)](o)-sensing mechanisms leading to the activation of the Cl(-) channel in murine osteoclasts. A rise in either Ca(2+) or Gd(3+) activated an outwardly rectifying Cl(-) (OR(cl)) channel reversibly and dose-dependently, which was characterized by rapid activation kinetics, little inactivation, and blockage by DIDS. The concentration required for a half-maximal response was estimated to be >20-30 mmol/L for Ca(2+). Intracellular dialysis with an ATP-free pipette solution or application of an actin destabilizer, cytochalasin D, decreased the [Ca(2+)](o)-activated OR(cl) current. Substitution of extracellular Na(+) by an impermeable cation, N-methyl-D-glucamine(+), inhibited the [Ca(2+)](o)-activated OR(cl) channel, suggesting that the activation depended on extracellular Na(+). A blocker for the Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger, 2'4'-dichlorobenzamil hydrochloride (DCB), inhibited the [Ca(2+)](o)-activated OR(cl) channel as well. Although 10 mmol/L Ca(2+) activated the OR(cl) current only slightly at a standard intracellular pH (7.3), decreasing pH by dialyzing cells with an acidic pipette solution (pH 6.6) enhanced the [Ca(2+)](o)-activated OR(cl) current. This potentiation by cell acidosis was eliminated by amiloride, a blocker for the Na(+)-H(+) exchanger. Zinc ion (0.1 mmol/L) and a polycation, neomycin (0.2 mmol/L), activated the OR(cl) current at intracellular pH 6.6, whereas the effects of those cations were negligible at intracellular pH 7.3. These results suggest that [Ca(2+)](o)-sensing mechanisms, leading to activation of the OR(cl) channel in murine osteoclasts, are regulated by ATP and actin cytoskeletal organization, and are sensitized greatly by cell acidosis. Contributions of Na(+)-dependent transporters in this activating process are examined in the context of a possible intermediate signal of cell swelling caused by Na(+) influx.

Extracellular calcium sensing and extracellular calcium signaling

The cloning of a G protein-coupled extracellular Ca(2+) (Ca(o)(2+))-sensing receptor (CaR) has elucidated the molecular basis for many of the previously recognized effects of Ca(o)(2+) on tissues that maintain systemic Ca(o)(2+) homeostasis, especially parathyroid chief cells and several cells in the kidney. The availability of the cloned CaR enabled the development of DNA and antibody probes for identifying the CaR's mRNA and protein, respectively, within these and other tissues. It also permitted the identification of human diseases resulting from inactivating or activating mutations of the CaR gene and the subsequent generation of mice with targeted disruption of the CaR gene. The characteristic alterations in parathyroid and renal function in these patients and in the mice with "knockout" of the CaR gene have provided valuable information on the CaR's physiological roles in these tissues participating in mineral ion homeostasis. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about how the CaR regulates other tissues involved in systemic Ca(o)(2+) homeostasis, particularly bone and intestine. Moreover, there is evidence that additional Ca(o)(2+) sensors may exist in bone cells that mediate some or even all of the known effects of Ca(o)(2+) on these cells. Even more remains to be learned about the CaR's function in the rapidly growing list of cells that express it but are uninvolved in systemic Ca(o)(2+) metabolism. Available data suggest that the receptor serves numerous roles outside of systemic mineral ion homeostasis, ranging from the regulation of hormonal secretion and the activities of various ion channels to the longer term control of gene expression, programmed cell death (apoptosis), and cellular proliferation. In some cases, the CaR on these "nonhomeostatic" cells responds to local changes in Ca(o)(2+) taking place within compartments of the extracellular fluid (ECF) that communicate with the outside environment (e.g., the gastrointestinal tract). In others, localized changes in Ca(o)(2+) within the ECF can originate from several mechanisms, including fluxes of calcium ions into or out of cellular or extracellular stores or across epithelium that absorb or secrete Ca(2+). In any event, the CaR and other receptors/sensors for Ca(o)(2+) and probably for other extracellular ions represent versatile regulators of numerous cellular functions and may serve as important therapeutic targets.

The calcimimetic R-467 potentiates insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells by activation of a nonspecific cation channel

The extracellular, G protein-linked Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CaSR), first identified in the parathyroid gland, is expressed in several tissues and cells and can be activated by Ca(2+) and some other inorganic cations and organic polycations. Calcimimetics such as NPS (R)-N-(3-phenylpropyl)-alpha-methyl-3-methoxybenzylamine hydrochloride (R-467), a phenylalkylamine, are thought to activate CaSR by allosterically increasing the affinity of the receptor for Ca(2+). When tested for its effect on insulin release in C57BL/6 mice, R-467 had no effect under basal conditions but enhanced both phases of glucose-stimulated release. The betaHC9 cell also responded to R-467 and to the enantiomer S-467 with a stimulation of insulin release. In subsequent studies with the betaHC9 cell, it was found that the stimulatory effect was due to activation of a nonspecific cation channel, depolarization of the beta-cell, and increased Ca(2+) entry. No other stimulatory mechanism was uncovered. The depolarization of the cell induced by the calcimimetic could be due to a direct action on the channel or via the CaSR. However, it appeared not to be mediated by G(i), G(o), G(q/11), or G(s). The novel mode of action of the calcimimetic, combined with the glucose-dependence of the stimulation on islets, raises the possibility of a totally new class of drugs that will stimulate insulin secretion during hyperglycemia but which will not cause hypoglycemia.

The many roles of the calcium-sensing receptor in health and disease

The physiological relevance of calcium in many vital processes requires that its concentration in extracellular fluids be kept within a narrow range. The near-constancy of this parameter emphasizes the remarkable sensitivity of cells sensing changes in extracellular calcium concentration to minimal fluctuations (< 2%) and the level of sophistication of the homeostatic system (1). The identification of a cell surface, Ca2+ (polyvalent cation)-sensing receptor (CaR), has shed considerable light on the molecular aspects of hypercalcemia on cell function (2). Activation of the receptor by calcium triggers an intracellular cascade of second messengers producing a variety of biological effects, many of which have yet to be understood. This suggests, for the first time, that Ca2+ can exert its effects in a hormone-like fashion without crossing the plasma membrane. The demonstration that inherited genetic disorders of Ca2+ homeostasis are associated with mutations that reduce or enhance responsiveness of the receptor to extracellular Ca2+ concentration clearly proposes CaR as the main regulator of divalent mineral ion excretion (3). This hypothesis is confirmed by the assessment of the presence of the receptor in all regions involved in Ca2+ homeostasis (e.g., parathyroid glands, kidney, calcitonin-secreting C cells, bone-derived cell lines, and intestine) (1,4-8). Recently, the receptor has also been found in regions not normally involved in mineral ion metabolism, such as the brain, eye, stomach, and pancreas (9-13). This clearly indicates a much broader relevance of CaR in the maintenance of local ionic homeostasis and, possibly, in the involvement in vital processes such as the regulation of cell fate.