Alendronate disturbs vesicular trafficking in osteoclasts.
The nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate alendronate inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone resorption through inhibition of the mevalonate pathway. This results in impaired protein prenylation and may affect the function of small GTPases in osteoclasts. Since these proteins are important regulators of vesicle transport in cells, we investigated the possible interference of alendronate with these processes in isolated rat osteoclasts. We show here that alendronate-induced inhibition of bone resorption coincides with accumulation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase- and electron dense material-containing tubular vesicles in osteoclasts. Alendronate-induced changes in osteoclasts also included widening of the sealing zone areas and incomplete organization of tight attachments and ruffled borders. Osteoclasts also appeared partially detached from the bone surface, and organic matrix was typically dissolved only at the edges of the resorption pits on alendronate-coated bone slices. In contrast, resorption pits on the control and clodronate-coated bone slices were thoroughly resorbed. Inhibition of bone resorption by alendronate was not, however, related to a decrease in osteoclast number. In conclusion, our findings suggest that alendronate inactivates osteoclasts by mechanisms that impair their intracellular vesicle transport, apoptosis being only a secondary phenomenon to this.
Alakangas
A
A
Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Anatomy, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland.
Selander
K
K
Mulari
M
M
Halleen
J
J
Lehenkari
P
P
Mönkkönen
J
J
Salo
J
J
Väänänen
Kalervo
K
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D019386:Alendronate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008081:Liposomes; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
D007527:Isoenzymes; D008081:Liposomes; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase; D019386:Alendronate