Estrogen modulates osteogenic activity and estrogen receptor mRNA in mesenchymal stem cells of women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether estrogen regulates mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) activity in bone marrow from osteoporotic postmenopausal women.


METHODS
MSCs were collected from bone marrows which were aspirated simultaneously during iliac bone graft procedures in spine fusion surgery in osteoporotic postmenopausal women. We investigated proliferation, differentiation, osteogenic activity, and estrogen receptor (ER) α and β mRNA expression of primary culture MSCs isolated from four osteoporotic postmenopausal women, treated in vitro with or without 17β-estradiol. The expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin, interleukin-6, ERα and ERβ mRNA was evaluated.


RESULTS
The expression of ALP and osteocalcin mRNA was detected during the cultures of MSCs and was observed to increase up to day 20. As compared with MSCs not treated with estradiol, a significant increase in DNA content, ERα mRNA, and ALP mRNA expression was observed in cultures with estradiol. The mRNA expression of osteocalcin and interleukin-6 was significantly lower in MSCs treated with estradiol than those without estradiol. There was no significant difference in the mRNA expression of ERβ between MSCs cultured with and without estradiol.


CONCLUSIONS
In the proper environment, MSCs from osteoporotic women can differentiate into osteoblasts and estrogen enhances the osteogenic activity possibly via ERα activity.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung and Chang Gung University, Taiwan.
F-P
FP
Chen
C-H
CH
Hu
K-C
KC
Wang
D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000235:genetics; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000378:metabolism; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004967:Estrogens; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015675:Osteocalcin; D004958:Estradiol; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase