title: Statins modulate the levels of osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of NFkappaB ligand mRNA in mouse bone-cell cultures.
abstract: Statins stimulate bone formation partly by inducing osteoblast differentiation, although there is controversy about the effects of statins on bone mineral density and fracture risk. Several studies have revealed that statins suppress bone resorption. However, the mechanism by which statins inhibit bone resorption is still unclear. The present study was performed to clarify the effects of statins on osteoclast formation as well as the levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of NFkappaB ligand (RANKL) mRNA in mouse bone-cell cultures by semiquantitative RT-PCR. 10(-8) M 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] significantly stimulated osteoclast formation and 10(-6) M statins (mevastatin and simvastatin) significantly antagonized osteoclast formation stimulated by 1,25(OH)2D3 in mouse bone-cell cultures, including both osteoblasts and osteoclasts. 10(-6) M mevastatin and simvastatin increased the level of OPG mRNA in mouse bone-cell cultures. On the other hand, 10(-6) M mevastatin and simvastatin inhibited the level of RANKL mRNA in these cultures. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that statins inhibit osteoclast formation in mouse bone-cell cultures. Moreover, statins also increased and decreased the levels of OPG and RANKL mRNA expression in these cultures, respectively. The modulation of OPG/RANKL may be involved in the inhibition of osteoclast formation by statins.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology/Metabolism, Neurology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Clinical Molecular Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. hiroshik@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanatani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chihara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000188:drug therapy; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C505687:Tnfrsf11a protein, mouse; C506031:Tnfrsf11b protein, mouse; C505689:Tnfsf11 protein, mouse; C012258:mevastatin; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D002117:Calcitriol