Forskolin has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on bone resorption in fetal rat long bone cultures

The diterpene forskolin which increases 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations (cAMP) in intact cells by directly activating the enzyme adenyl cyclase, was examined for its ability to alter bone resorption in fetal rat long bone cultures. After 48 h, forskolin inhibited resorption at 1.0 and 10 microM. However, after 120 h, it had a small stimulatory effect at 1.0 microM and no net effect on resorption at 10 microM. Isobutyl-methylxanthine (IBMX), which elevates cAMP levels in cells by inhibiting the enzyme 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase, produced a resorptive response which was slightly different from that of forskolin. After both 48 and 120 h, IBMX at 0.1 mM stimulated resorption while at 1.0 mM, it had only inhibitory effects. In bones which were stimulated to resorb with either parathyroid hormone or 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D, forskolin inhibited resorption. The inhibitory effects of forskolin on hormonally stimulated resorption were transient in cultures treated with 1.0 microM but were sustained with 10 microM. Inhibitory responses to forskolin did not appear to result from toxicity since they were completely reversed when forskolin was removed from the media. These results imply that agents which increases 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations in bone activate two resorptive pathways: one which is inhibitory and another which is stimulatory.     

Retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 stimulate osteoclast formation by different mechanisms

The effects of retinoic acid (RA) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3 on osteoclast formation were examined in intact fetal long bones of different ages/developmental stages maintained in organ culture using a chemically defined medium with or without the presence of serum. Besides stimulating bone resorption, RA and 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased the number of osteoclasts in 19-day-old fetal rat tibiae. Likewise, these bone-resorbing agents induced and stimulated osteoclast formation in 19- and 18-day-old metatarsal bones which were osteoclast-free at the beginning of the culture. The response to 1,25-(OH)2D3 was greatly enhanced by 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) irrespective of the developmental stage of the long bone. The response to RA was not. Light microscopic autoradiography after labeling of the cultures with tritiated thymidine showed that both RA and 1,25-(OH)2D3 induced osteoclast differentiation from proliferating and postmitotic precursors. However, neither agent was able to stimulate proliferation of osteoclast progenitor cells in the older bones (19 days). Studies on the formation of osteoclast-like (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase positive) cells in bone marrow cultures indicated that FBS was a potent inducer of osteoclast-like cell formation. In the presence of FBS, 1,25-(OH)2D3 significantly stimulated this response, but RA did not. The results demonstrate that although both RA and 1,25-(OH)2D3 stimulate osteoclast formation from proliferating and postmitotic precursors in long bones in vitro, they do so by different mechanisms.     

Response of malignant glioma cell lines to activation and inhibition of protein kinase C-mediated pathways

To evaluate the role of protein kinase C-mediated pathways in the proliferation of malignant gliomas, this study examined the effect of a protein kinase C (PKC)-activating phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate or TPA) and a protein kinase C inhibitor (polymyxin B) on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis of malignant glioma cells in vitro. A serum-free chemically defined medium, MCDB 105, was employed for all studies. Two established human malignant glioma cell lines (T98G and U138), two rat glioma lines (9L and C6), and two low-passage human glioma lines (obtained from surgical specimens) were studied. With the exception of the C6 line, all tumors responded in a dose-dependent fashion to nanomolar concentrations of TPA with a median effective dose that varied from 0.5 ng/ml for the U138 glioma to 1 ng/ml for the T98G glioma. At optimal concentrations (5 to 10 ng/ml), TPA produced a two- to five-fold increase in the rate of DNA synthesis (p less than 0.05) as assessed by incorporation of 3H-thymidine. However, TPA had no additive effect on the mitogenic response produced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Inhibition of PKC using the antibiotic polymyxin B (20 micrograms/ml) abolished the TPA-induced mitogenic response in the five responsive lines tested. In two tumors (U138 and 9L), polymyxin B also eliminated EGF-, PDGF-, and serum-induced DNA synthesis as well as abolishing baseline DNA synthesis. These cells remained viable, however, as assessed by trypan blue exclusion; after removal of polymyxin B from the medium, they were able to resume DNA synthesis in response to TPA and serum. In the three other tumors (T98G and the two low-passage human glioma lines), growth factor-induced and serum-induced DNA synthesis were inhibited by approximately 25% to 85%. It is concluded that PKC-mediated pathways affect DNA synthesis in the human malignant glial tumors studied. The response of the glioma cells to TPA is similar to the responses seen in fetal astrocytes, but differs significantly from those reported for normal adult glial cultures. Because the response of the 9L glioma to TPA is similar to the responses seen in the human tumors, the 9L rat glioma model may prove useful for examining the role of PKC-mediated pathways in controlling glioma growth in vivo.     

Cyclosporine A inhibits calcemic hormone-induced bone resorption in vitro

We have investigated the in vitro effects of cyclosporine (CsA), a potent immunosuppressive agent, on bone resorption induced by calcemic hormones. CsA inhibited parathyroid hormone (PTH), prostaglandin E2, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), and osteoclast-activating factor induced resorption of fetal rat limb bones in a dose-dependent manner. Established ongoing resorptive activity in bone was also inhibited by CsA. The CsA inhibition of bone resorption could be partially surmounted by higher concentrations of PTH and 1,25(OH)2D3. The inhibitory effects of CsA on limb bone resorption were reversible. Neither protein nor DNA synthesis were inhibited by treatment of limb bones with CsA. Thus, the inhibitory effect of this agent on bone resorption is not a cytotoxic one. These data could suggest that the induction of bone resorption by the calcemic hormones involves an immune cell derived mediator such as a lymphokine.     

Evaluation of the role of second messenger systems in tumor necrosis factor-stimulated resorption of fetal rat limb bones

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) actions in target tissues are mediated by various signalling pathways. The effect of TNF to stimulate resorption in fetal rat limb bones is not inhibited by indomethacin. The current studies were designed to assess the role of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and calcium as second messengers in this prostaglandin-independent action of TNF on bone resorption. TNF alone failed to increase cyclic AMP in fetal rat limb bones after either brief (15 min) or long-term (72 h) treatment. TNF-stimulated resorption in fetal rat limb bones was enhanced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX). In short term incubations, the combination of TNF + IBMX did not elicit increases in cAMP in the limb bones. In 72 h cultures, addition of IBMX revealed a dose-dependent effect of TNF to increase cAMP. TNF produced a significant increase in inositol phosphate turnover in limb bones, with a greater response at 5 min than at 1 or 20 min. The calcium channel blocker nitrendipine inhibited TNF-stimulated resorption in the fetal rat limb bones. TNF-stimulated resorption was attenuated by pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTx). PTx did not inhibit the effect of TNF to increase inositol phosphate turnover. TNF did not increase cAMP, intracellular calcium, or inositol phosphates in the UMR-106 cells. The data suggest the following: (a) cyclic mucleotides may play a role in TNF-stimulated resorption, although an increase in cAMP is not a direct rapid effect of TNF per se; (b) inositol phosphates could also play a signalling role in the action of TNF; (c) a pertussis toxin-sensitive step is required for TNF action on bone resorption.     

Second messengers in thrombin-stimulated bone resorption

Characterized human thrombins and two commercial bovine thrombin preparations were examined for their effects on bone resorption and on the cyclic AMP and phosphoinositide second messenger systems in bone. Human alpha- and gamma-thrombins, as well as both bovine thrombin preparations, stimulated bone resorption in vitro, whereas catalytically inactivated human diisopropylfluorophosphate (DIP)-alpha-thrombin did not significantly stimulate resorption. Human alpha-thrombin and a commercial bovine thrombin preparation increased cyclic AMP production in fetal rat limb bones, but another bovine commercial thrombin preparation and gamma-thrombin did not. Except for DIP-alpha-thrombin, all thrombins increased production of inositol phosphates in fetal rat limb bones at concentrations that stimulated resorption. In time course studies, bovine thrombin increased label in inositol trisphosphate at 30 s, with decreasing effects at later times. Inositol monophosphate increased progressively over 30 min. Our results are consistent with thrombin-stimulated bone resorption being mediated at least partially through the inositol phosphate pathway.     

Effects of phorbol esters and pertussis toxin on calcitonin-stimulated accumulation of cyclic AMP in neonatal mouse calvarial bones

Summary Calcitonin (CT) is a well-known inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption bothin vivo andin vitro. The effect is mediated by activation of adenylate cyclase and subsequent increased levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP). We report here that CT-induced (30 nmol/liter) accumulation of cAMP in cultured neonatal mouse calvaria is enhanced two-fold by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 100 nmol/liter) and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBU; 100 nmol/liter), two protein kinase C (PKC)-activating phorbol esters, whereas phorbol 13-monoacetate (phorb-13; 100 nmol/liter), a related compound that does not activate PKC, has no effect. The ability of TPA and PDBU to enhance CT-stimulated cAMP accumulation was obtained also in the presence of indomethacin (1 μmol/liter). Kinetic studies revealed that TPA enhanced the cAMP response to CT at all the time points at which CT had a significant effect per se and that TPA did not alter the time-course of the cAMP response to CT. Treatment with pertussis toxin (100 ng/ml) enhanced cAMP response to parathyroid hormone (10 nmol/liter) and prostaglandin E₂, but not to CT. From these data it is concluded that PKC, but not pertussis toxin-sensitive guanyl nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), can interact with and modify the signal transducing system for CT in osteoclasts.     

Different roles for calcium and cyclic AMP in the action of PTH: studies in bone explants and isolated bone cells

In fetal mouse calvaria forskolin (0.1-100 microM), like PTH, stimulated cyclic AMP production in a dose-dependent way. The dose-response curve for forskolin-induced bone mineral release (24 hrs), however, demonstrated a biphasic character, showing stimulation at 0.1 microM and inhibition at 5 and 10 microM. In addition, forskolin-stimulated bone resorption reached a plateau after 48 hrs of incubation, a phenomenon which did not occur with PTH. Forskolin (0.1 microM) strongly stimulated PTH-induced cyclic AMP production in fetal mouse calvaria. However, PTH-stimulated bone resorption and PTH-induced increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ in bone fetal rat cells were not stimulated by forskolin (0.1 microM). 9-(Tetrahydro-2-furyl) adenine (100 microM) completely blunted PTH-stimulated cyclic AMP response in fetal mouse calvaria. PTH-stimulated bone resorption was also completely inhibited, but only after 6 hrs and not after 24 hrs of incubation. With nifedipine and varabamil PTH-stimulated bone resorption was significantly inhibited after 24 hrs of incubation and not significantly after 6 hrs of incubation. A23187 (1 microM) significantly stimulated PTH-stimulated cyclic AMP level and increased basal cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration in cultured rat bone cells. In calvaria, however, it had no effect on either basal and PTH-stimulated cyclic AMP production or on basal and PTH-stimulated bone resorption (6 and 24 hrs). From these observations it follows that in calvaria manipulation of intracellular cyclic AMP only (partially) affects bone resorption. This observation points to a role for an additional second messenger in establishing full blown bone resorption. Some of the results are published in short elsewhere.     

Effects of thionapthene 2-carboxylic acid and related compounds on bone resorption in organ culture

Summary We have compared the effects of thiophene 2-carboxylic acid (TCA) and a number of sulfur-and nitrogen-containing analogs for their ability to inhibit bone resorption in organ cultures of fetal rat long bones. Four compounds,—thionapthene-2-carboxylic acid (TNCA), dibenzo-thiophene-4-carboxylic acid, indole-2-carboxylic acid and carbazole-1-carboxylic acid—caused a doserelated inhibition of PTH-stimulated bone resorption, although TCA was ineffective in this system. TNCA at 3×10⁻⁴ M or 10⁻⁴ M was the most potent inhibitor of PTH-stimulated bone resorption and was selected for further study. TNCA also inhibited stimulation of resorption by prostaglandin E₂ and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Unlike calcitonin, the effect of TNCA was persistent and did not show escape. Moreover, TNCA could inhibit resorption in bones that had previously escaped from calcitonin. TNCA did not appear to be a nonspecific toxin, since it did not decrease incorporation of [³H] thymidine or [³H]proline into fetal rat long bones. The fact that resorption in unstimulated cultures was only decreased when the control rates were high also argues against nonspecific toxicity. Moreover, this suggests that TNCA will be most effective under conditions of accelerated bone resorption when an inhibiting effect is most desirable. heterocyclic sulfur-containing compound, thiophene-2 carboxylic acid (TCA) in the rat. Subsequent studies showed that this compound could inhibit bone resorption in organ cultures of neonatal mouse calvaria [3]. We have compared TCA with a number of analogs for their ability to inhibit PTH stimulated bone resorption in organ culture. TCA itself was found to be relatively ineffective, whereas several of the analogs were inhibitory at concentrations of 3×10⁻⁴ or 10⁻⁵ M. One of the most potent compounds, thionapthene 2-carboxylic acid (TNCA) was selected for further study. TNCA was a potent inhibitor not only of PTH stimulated bone resorption, but of resorption stimulated by prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-(OH)₂D₃). It was less effective in inhibiting resorption in control unstimulated cultures. TNCA did not appear to act as a nonspecific toxin in that it did not decrease [³H]-thymidine or [³H]-proline incorporation into bones. The inhibitory effect of TCA was persistent, unlike that of calcitonin, which shows escape after initial inhibition. Moreover, TNCA had a powerful inhibitory effect when it was added to bones that had previously escaped from CT. A preliminary report of this work was presented at the sixth annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Hartford, CT. 1984 [1]     

Effects of acid and basic fibroblast growth factor and heparin on resorption of cultured fetal rat long bones.

We tested acid and basic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF and bFGF), members of the heparin binding FGF family, for their ability to stimulate bone resorption as measured by the release of previously incorporated 45Ca from cultured fetal rat long bones in the presence and absence of heparin. Purified low-molecular-weight heparin (LMW heparin) at 5-125 micrograms/ml had no direct stimulatory effect. There was little effect from aFGF (10(-11)-10(-8) M) alone, but increased resorption was observed in the presence of LMW heparin. With bFGF, increased bone resorption was observed at 10(-9) M but not at 10(-8) M. The stimulatory effects of aFGF and bFGF in the presence of LMW heparin were not blocked by the addition of indomethacin (10(-6) M), which blocks prostaglandin production, or hydroxyurea (10(-3) M), which blocks DNA synthesis. However, pretreatment with aphidicolin (3 x 10(-5) M), a potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis, blocked the effect of acid FGF and diminished the effect of bFGF. These results indicate that both aFGF and bFGF can stimulate bone resorption by a prostaglandin-independent mechanism, particularly in the presence of heparin. The activation of FGF-mediated bone resorption by heparin could play a role in producing the osteoporosis that has been described with heparin therapy and mastocytosis.     

Effect of partially purified bone morphogenetic protein on DNA synthesis and cell replication in calvarial and fibroblast cultures

The effects of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a molecule extracted from demineralized bone, were observed in organ cultures of 21-day fetal rat calvariae. The effects of BMP on cell replication in cultures of normal rat kidney (NRK) fibroblasts were studied for comparison. At concentrations of 0.1-10 micrograms/ml for periods of 24-96 hours, BMP stimulated the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into acid-insoluble residues (DNA) in calvariae by 25%-159%, and at 1-10 micrograms/ml it increased bone DNA content by 20%-23%. BMP at 1 micrograms/ml also increased the number of calvarial mitoses after colcemid arrest by 1.5-1.8-fold. The effect of BMP on calvarial DNA synthesis was observed in the periosteal bone. In contrast to its effects on DNA synthesis, BMP did not stimulate the incorporation of 3H-proline into collagenase-digestible and noncollagen protein and did not alter calvarial alkaline phosphatase activity. BMP at 1-10 micrograms/ml caused a marked increase in 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA in cultured NRK fibroblasts and increased DNA content and cell number by 1.5-2-fold. These studies indicate that BMP stimulates DNA synthesis and cell replication in calvarial and fibroblast cultures but does not stimulate postdifferentiated bone cells in incubated calvariae.     

Salmon stanniocalcin and bovine parathyroid hormone have dissimilar actions on mammalian bone.

Stanniocalcin (STC), a calcium-regulating glycoprotein hormone isolated from the corpuscles of Stannius of salmon, was tested for effects on bone and calcium metabolism in mammalian species (rats and mice). STC generally failed to alter serum calcium of parathyroidectomized rats at concentrations equimolar with effective concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH). STC did not increase cAMP in ROS 17/2.8 or UMR-108 osteosarcoma cells, OK kidney cells, fetal rat limb bones, or neonatal mouse calvariae, and similarly failed to increase urinary cAMP in rats. STC did not consistently stimulate resorption in any of the rodent bone culture systems, although variable resorptive responses were elicited in fetal mouse calvariae. The results indicate that this fish hormone has limited, if any, PTH-like activity on calcium metabolism in mammalian systems.     

Cortisol enhancement of PTH-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in cultured fetal rat long bone rudiments.

Cortisol in concentrations from 10 nM to 10 microM produced a dose-related inhibition of basal and PTH1-stimulated 45Ca and [3H]-hydroxyproline release from cultured fetal rat forelimb rudiments. PTH-stimulated cyclic AMP generation however was not diminished by cortisol; in contrast, at a concentration of 1 microM cortisol produced a 57% increase in PTH-stimulated bone cyclic AMP content. The stimulatory effect of cortisol on cyclic AMP content appeared to be the result of reduced phosphodiesterase activity, since this effect was not seen in the presence of 10 mM theophylline. It is concluded that cortisol inhibition of PTH-induced resorption in long bones is not accompanied by reduced cyclic AMP generation.     

Comparison of the effects of auranofin, gold sodium thiomalate, and penicillamine on resorption of cultured fetal rat long bones

We compared three antirheumatic agents: auranofin (Aur), gold sodium thiomalate (GST), and penicillamine (Pen) for their effect on resorption in control unstimulated cultures of fetal rat long bones and in cultures stimulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and murine interleukin-1 (mIL-1). Aur (3 X 10(-6) M) and GST (10(-4) M) inhibited PTH-stimulated bone resorption by 39 and 42%, respectively. The same concentrations of Aur and GST inhibited PGE2-stimulated bones by 72 and 44, respectively, and mIL-1-stimulated bones by 74 and 50%, respectively. Pen (10(-4) M) was not effective against any of the stimulators. Dose-response curves showed that Aur was at least 10 times more potent than GST. Inhibition by Aur was sustained after removal of the drug, while there was full recovery from GST. Aur inhibited 3H-thymidine and 3H-proline incorporation into bones, while GST had no effect. Aur and GST decreased beta-glucuronidase activity to undetectable levels at five days of culture. Part of the therapeutic effectiveness of Aur and GST may reside in their ability to inhibit periarticular destruction by inhibiting PGE2- and IL-1-mediated osteoclastic bone resorption.     

Involvement of protein kinase C in growth regulation of human meningioma cells

Summary In order to investigate the possible role of protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated signal pathways in growth regulation of meningiomas, we examined the effect of two PKC-activating phorbol esters, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA) and phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu), and PKC inhibitor, staurosporine, on cell proliferation using low-passage human meningioma cells in culture. TPA (0.1 to 100 ng/ml) caused a dose-dependent stimulation of cell proliferation in six of eight meningioma cultures. At optimal concentrations of TPA, the cell growth ranged from 113% to 251% versus control. In contrast, PDBu (0.1 to 100 ng/ml) caused a significant inhibition of cell proliferation in three of five meningioma cultures. At optimal concentrations of PDBu, the cell growth ranged from 52% to 79% of control. Staurosporine exhibited a stimulation of cell proliferation (135% to 178%) in three of four meningioma cultures studied at a concentration of 10^–10 to 10^–9M, although a tendency of growth inhibition was observed at a lower concentration. A time course of DNA synthesis in response to TPA, assessed by [³H] thymidine incorporation studies, revealed a time- and dose-dependent stimulation and/or inhibition which further depended on the serum concentration of the growth medium used. The overall results indicate that PKC-mediated signal pathways are closely involved in growth regulation of human meningioma cells. The results further suggest that the signalling processes consist of complex mechanisms which await to be elucidated.     

Simultaneous assessment of bone resorption and formation in cultures of 22-day fetal rat parietal bones: effects of parathyroid hormone and prostaglandin E2

We have developed a method that allows us to measure bone resorption and formation simultaneously in the parietal bones from 22-day fetal rat calvaria. Parietal bones labeled with 45Ca, by injection of the mother, were cultured for 72 h with parathyroid hormone (PTH, bovine 1-34, 1.56 nM) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, 100 nM), in the presence or absence of indomethacin (Indo, 1 microM) or corticosterone (Cort, 1 microM). Two hours prior to the end of the culture, the bones were pulsed with [3H]-proline or [3H]-thymidine. Resorption was assessed as the percent of 45Ca released into the medium. Incorporation of [3H]-proline into collagenase digestible protein (CDP) and of [3H]-thymidine into DNA (TDR) were measured to assess collagen and DNA synthesis, respectively. Basal %45Ca release was 16 +/- 1% and was significantly decreased by Indo and Cort. Cort decreased TDR and CDP while Indo did not. PTH and PGE2 significantly increased %45Ca release, and this was not blocked by Indo. However, in the presence of Cort, only PTH increased %45Ca release while PGE2 did not. PGE2 increased TDR under all culture conditions while PTH increased TDR only in the presence of Cort. While PTH and PGE2 had the same effects on bone resorption, they had different effects on CDP. PGE2 increased CDP in the presence of Indo or Cort but PTH did not. Thus, this model allows us to study bone resorption, collagen synthesis, and DNA synthesis simultaneously. We have also shown that PTH and PGE2 differ in their sensitivity to inhibition of resorption by Cort and in their effects on bone formation.     

Control of gastrin release in cultured gastrinoma-derived G cells

Functional gastrin-containing tumor cells (GT cells) have been maintained in short-term culture on microporous membranes, and their response to selected agents has been determined. After dispersion of gastrinoma by collagenase-DNAase digestion coupled with mechanical disruption, dispersed cells were depleted in stromal material by selective attachment to a plastic substrate, then cultured for 72 hours on porous cellulose membranes. Cultures contained 68 +/- 5% GT cells with a viability of 92 +/- 2%. Secretin stimulated the rate of gastrin release from cultured GT cells in both a time- and a dose-dependent fashion. To examine the possible involvement of adenylate cyclase- and protein kinase C-mediated mechanisms in regulating gastrin release from the neoplastic GT cells, we evaluated the effects of 8-bromoadenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcAMP; 10(-4) - 10(-2) mol/L), the diterpene forskolin (10(-5) mol/L), 12-0-tetradencanoylphorobol 13-acetate (TPA; 10(-8) - 10(-6) mol/L), and 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4 alpha PDD; 10(-8) - 10(-6) mol/L) on gastrin release. Among all compounds tested, 8-BrcAMP (10(-2) mol/L) was the most potent, stimulating the rate of gastrin release 263% above basal. Both 8-BrcAMP and TPA stimulated gastrin release in a dose-dependent fashion. The biologically inactive phorbol ester, 4 alpha PDD, was without effect at all concentrations. Somatostatin (10(-8) - 10(-6) mol/L) inhibited 8-BrcAMP-stimulated gastrin release in a dose-dependent fashion to a maximum of 75%.     

Inhibition of growth of established human glioma cell lines by modulators of the protein kinase-C system

The protein kinase-C (PKC) second messenger system contributes to regulation of cell growth and differentiation. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of modulators of the PKC enzyme system on the state of differentiation and proliferation rates of human gliomas in vitro. The administration of the PKC-activating phorbol esters 4-beta-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) resulted in a dose-related inhibition of growth of human glioma cell lines in vitro as measured by 3H-thymidine uptake. The synthetic nonphorbol PKC activator (SC-9) produced an even more pronounced decrease of 3H-thymidine uptake. Diacylglycerol, an endogenous activator of the system, applied externally, transiently decreased the proliferation, in concordance with its short-lived existence in vivo. Conversely, the administration of 4-alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (alpha-PDD), a phorbol ester that binds but does not activate the enzyme, had no effect on the proliferation rate. At the dosages that maximally decreased proliferation, there was no evidence of direct glioma cell lysis induced by these agents as measured by a chromium-release assay. Immunocytochemical analysis and cytofluorometric measurement of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining in the treated cultures revealed an increase in GFAP staining over control cultures. In contrast to the response of glioma cells, nonmalignant human adult astrocytes treated with the PKC activators responded by increasing their proliferation rate. The authors postulate that the diametrically opposed effects of PKC activators on nonmalignant astrocytes versus glioma growth may be due to a high intrinsic PKC activity in glioma cells, with resultant down-regulation of enzyme activity following the administration of the pharmacological activators.     

Comparison of the effects of amino-terminal synthetic parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) of malignancy and parathyroid hormone on resorption of cultured fetal rat long bones

Summary We have compared the effects of of various synthetic amino-terminal forms of human parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) of malignancy with synthetic parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the resorptive responses of fetal rat long bones in organ culture. PTH and PTHrP increased⁴⁵Ca release at concentrations of 0.1–25 nM. PTHrP (1–40) and bovine PTH (1–34) were more potent than human PTH (1–34) and PTHrP (1–34). However, the slopes of the dose-response curves and the maximal resorptive effects were similar. There was a marked decrease in the potency of amino-terminal PTHrP peptides as the length was decreased. PTHrP (1–29) and PTHrP (1–25) were inactive at 120 nM. Further comparison of bPTH (1–34) and PTHrP (1–34) showed that both could induce bone resorption after a brief (6 hours) exposure and that the response to PTHrP (1–34) was qualitatively similar to that of bPTH (1–34) with respect to enhancement by ACTH and inhibition by calcitonin and glucocorticoids. Hydroxyurea and indomethacin did not block the resorptive response to either agonist. Cyclic AMP production in response to PTHrP (1–34) and (1–40) was similar to that for bPTH (1–34) in ROS 17/2.8 cells. The cyclic AMP (cAMP) response was much smaller in fetal rat long bones and calvariae, and bPTH was more potent than PTHrP. These studies confirm that PTHrP is quantitatively similar in its effects on bone resorption to PTH and are consistent with the two agents acting on the same receptor.