Journal
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
Volume 376, Issue 1-2, Pages 85-92Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.06.013
Keywords
Human osteoblast; Calcium; Mineralisation; Gene expression; OPG/RANKL; ASARM
Categories
Funding
- Australian Postgraduate Award (APA)
- National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Calcium, in combination with vitamin D, is an effective treatment for osteoporosis. Since bone mineralisation occurs concurrently with osteoblast to osteocyte transition, we hypothesised that calcium would stimulate this process. The effect of calcium (1.8-11.8 mM) was tested on human primary osteoblast (NHBC) differentiation in vitro. Cultures were assayed for cell-associated mineral and gene expression associated with osteoblast differentiation and mineralisation. Treatment with calcium resulted in a striking dose- and time-dependent increase in cell-associated mineralisation. Calcium appeared to promote osteoblast to osteocyte differentiation, as indicated by increased expression of osteocalcin (OCN), E11, dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) and SOST mRNA. The expression of the osteoclast inhibitor, osteoprotegerin, was dramatically enhanced by calcium. Calcium also increased the ratio of PHEX mRNA expression relative to that of MEPE, suggesting a mechanism for the pro-anabolic effect. Consistent with this, calcium-dependent mineralisation was reversed in the presence of MEPE-ASARM peptides. This study suggests that calcium promotes osteoblast to osteocyte transition and concurrent matrix mineralisation, at least in part through the PHEX-MEPE axis. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available