| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
ARTICLES |
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Christoph Schmid, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
In vitro, PGE2 stimulates both DNA and collagen synthesis in calvariae (1) and alkaline phosphatase activity in MC3T3-E1 cells (8). Furthermore, PGE2 increases alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized bone nodule formation in calvarial cells (9). Stimulation of DNA synthesis by PGE2 appears to occur in bone tissue compartments rich in precursor cells, whereas no effect, inhibition, or delayed stimulation occurs in areas of highly differentiated osteoblasts (10, 11). Along this line, we found that PGE2 decreased DNA synthesis in calvaria cells (12), whereas it increased DNA synthesis in the periosteal cells of cultured fetal rat calvariae (11). Moreover, PGE2 increased DNA synthesis in less differentiated bone cells by a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent event, whereas PGE2 and cAMP decreased DNA synthesis in more differentiated bone cells (10, 12).
Osteoblasts are responsible for the formation of the bone matrix and
its mineralization, i.e. for the production of type I
collagen, and for deposition of inorganic phosphate (and Ca) in bone.
Phosphate (Pi) transport has been studied in monolayer cultures of
osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells. Sodium-dependent Pi
(NadPi) transport is a carrier-mediated process that is
dependent on the presence of Na+ in the extracellular space
(13). It has recently been shown that PTH (14), PTH-related peptide
(PTHrP) (15), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (16), and
transforming growth factor-
(17) stimulate NadPi
transport in UMR-10601 cells. PTH and PTHrP activate a common
(PTH/PTHrP) receptor (18) that activates similar second messenger
systems as the PGE2 receptors (19, 20, 21). Even though the
NadPi transport studies had been conducted in the same cell
line, UMR-106, they yielded apparently conflicting results. The PTHrP
effects in UMR-106 cells found by Arao et al. (15) indicated
that the PKC messenger system, rather than adenylate cyclase or
cytosolic calcium, played a crucial role in the stimulation of
NadPi transport by PTHrP in UMR-106 cells. In contrast, the
stimulatory effect of PTH on NadPi transport in UMR-106
cells was suggested to involve PKA activation, as it was mimicked by
forskolin, a stimulator of cAMP formation (14). PTH regulated
NadPi transport in a biphasic way: it first increased the
NadPi transport with a maximum (1.3-fold) after 46 h and
inhibited NadPi transport thereafter up to
1820 h. The
early pattern of the change in NadPi transport in response
to forskolin was similar to that observed with PTH; however, no late
inhibition occurred. PTH appeared to regulate NadPi
transport in UMR-106 cells differently than did PTHrP in the same cell
line. However, the effects of PGE2 on NadPi
transport in bone cells have not been reported.
We used a rat bone-derived cell line, PyMS, to study the effect of PGE2 on NadPi transport in osteoblastic cells and to investigate whether pharmacological agents mimic or block the effect of PGE2 on NadPi transport. This cell line shares features of periosteal cells of calvariae in vivo in that DNA synthesis is stimulated by PGE2 (10, 11). Similar to rat Py1a (22, 23) and mouse MC3T3-E1 (8, 21) cells, PyMS cells represent less differentiated, preosteoblastic bone cells.
| Materials and Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Cell culture
The cells were passaged in Falcon tissue culture flasks (Becton
Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ) in DMEM supplemented with gentamicin (50
µg/ml), glutamine (2 mmol/liter), and FCS (5%) at 37 C in an
atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. Cell cultures between
passages 14 and 39 were used in these studies. Cells grown to
confluence were detached from the dishes with 0.25% trypsin and
replated in Falcon multiwell tissue culture plates (35-mm diameter) at
a density of 2 x 105 cells/well. Confluent monolayer
cultures were used 4 days after seeding. Twenty-four hours before the
transport studies, cells were rinsed with serum-free medium, and the
growth medium was replaced by serum-free F-12 medium containing
gentamicin (50 µg/ml), glutamine (2 mmol/liter), and charcoal-treated
BSA at 1 g/liter. Cell monolayers were incubated for 10 min with
indomethacin, calphostin C, genistein, and wortmannin, respectively,
and TPA or PGE2 was added 10 min later. Aliquots of test
agents were added directly to the medium. Cells were incubated as
specified in Results.
Transport studies
Before the start of experiments, monolayers were washed at room
temperature with 1 ml transport buffer A or B containing 140
mM NaCl or choline chloride, 5 mM KCl, 1
mM MgCl2, 1.5 mM CaCl, and 15
mM HEPES, adjusted to pH 7.4, with Tris-HCl. Transport
buffer B, containing choline chloride instead of NaCl, was used for
measuring Na+-independent solute uptake. The
32P uptake or [14C[alanine uptake studies
were initiated by adding 1 ml transport buffer containing 0.1
mM KH2PO4 (1 µCi
32PO4/ml; 200 mCi/mmol) or 0.1 mM
L-alanine (1 µCi
L-[14C]alanine/ml; 158 mCi/mmol),
respectively (both from Amersham, Aylesbury, UK). Ten minutes later,
the buffer was removed, and the dishes were quickly rinsed three times
with 1 ml ice-cold transport buffer. The cells were then solubilized
with 1 ml 2% SDS, and the radioactivity of a 0.5-ml aliquot was
counted in a liquid scintillation counter.
Determination of cell number, protein content, and
[3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA
After 4 days of culture (24 h in test medium as described
above), cells were detached from some of the dishes with trypsin,
counted in a hemocytometer, and lysed from parallel dishes into 2 ml
0.1% Triton X-100 for the determination of protein content by a
modification of the Lowry procedure (24). For
[3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA, cells were plated
and grown as described above, but exposed to test medium for 18 h
as indicated, then pulsed with
[methyl-3H]thymidine (Amersham; 80 Ci/mmol; 1
µCi/dish) for 3 h at 37 C and rinsed three times with cold PBS,
DNA was precipitated and washed three times in situ with
10% trichloroacetic acid, and incorporated radioactivity was measured
in a liquid scintillation counter (12).
Statistical analysis
Results were obtained by pooling data from several independent
experiments in which exactly the same points were tested and are
expressed as the mean ± SE. The significance of the
differences was assessed by two-tailed Students t
test.
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To determine whether the effect of PGE2 on
NadPi transport is specific, we looked at Na-dependent
alanine transport. Alanine uptake increased linearly with incubation
times for up to at least 30 min in the presence of extracellular Na
(not shown). After a 10-min incubation, Na-independent alanine
transport amounted to less than 6% of the total uptake, and it did not
increase with time (not shown). Na-dependent alanine transport was
calculated by subtraction of the Na-independent component from the
total alanine uptake in the presence of Na. PGE2 at
10-6 M increased Na-dependent alanine
transport after 24 h only when expressed per dish (1.1 ±
0.02-fold; not shown), not when expressed per protein (Table 1
) or cell number (not shown), whereas in
dishes treated in parallel, PGE2 increased
NadPi transport 2.0 ± 0.04-fold (Tables 2A
and 3
).
The effect of PGE2 was specific for NadPi
transport.
PGE2 stimulated NadPi uptake from
204 ± 4 pmol Pi/dish·10 min (control) to 246 ± 7 pmol
Pi/dish·10 min (1.2-fold) within 2 h (Fig. 2
and Tables 1
and 4
), to 324 ± 8 pmol Pi/dish·10 min (1.6-fold) after 6 h
(Fig. 2
), and to 392 ± 5 pmol Pi/dish·10 min after 24 h at
10-6 M, i.e. 1.9-fold (Fig. 2
and
Tables 13![]()
![]()
). Kinetic values for NadPi transport determined
after 2-h treatment with PGE2 and TPA in selected
experiments (not shown) indicated an increase in the Vmax
corresponding to the increase in NadPi transport and no
change in Km, as shown for the 24 h point in Table 3
.
PGE2 at 10-6 M stimulated DNA
synthesis
3 ± 0.2-fold (Tables 1
and 2A
), and slightly increased cell number
and protein content per culture dish (Table 3
).
Indomethacin, IGF-I and IGFBP-3
Indomethacin was added to inhibit the possible amplification of
locally induced eicosanoids by exogenous PGE2 (21).
Indomethacin (10-6 M) had no effect on basal
and PGE2- (Table 2A
) and TPA-stimulated (not shown)
NadPi transport or on Na-dependent alanine transport during
24 h of treatment. Indomethacin (10-6 M)
had no effect on basal and PGE2-stimulated DNA synthesis
(Table 2A
).
Because locally produced IGF-I could be a mediator of selected
PGE2 effects (26), we examined IGF-I and PGE2
together after 2- and 24-h incubations. The effects of IGF-I and
PGE2 were detected after 2 and 24 h, and these effects
were additive (Table 1
). The stimulatory effect of 10-9
M IGF-I, but not that of 10-6 M
PGE2, was blocked by 10-8 M
IGFBP-3 (Table 2A
). IGF-I at 10-9 M stimulated
DNA synthesis 7-fold (Table 1
). The effects of IGF-I and
PGE2 were synergistic (Table 1
). The stimulatory effect of
10-9 M IGF-I, but not that of
10-6 M PGE2 was blocked by
10-8 M IGFBP-3 (Table 2A
).
TPA, A23187, and (Bu)2cAMP
To determine which of the distinct signal transduction pathways
influences NadPi transport in PyMS cells, PGE2
receptors were bypassed by pharmacological agents. NadPi
transport was increased in PyMS cells that had been exposed to TPA for
24 h (Fig. 2
and Tables 2B
and 3
). The lowest concentration that
produced a significant stimulation was 10-9 M,
and maximal stimulation occurred at 10-7 M
(not shown). TPA stimulated NadPi uptake after 24 h at
10-7 M 1.5 ± 0.03-fold (Tables 2B
and 3
and Fig. 2
). A stimulatory effect of TPA on NadPi transport
was seen after 0.5 h (1.5 ± 0.1-fold), and maximal
stimulation (2.0 ± 0.06-fold) was detected after 2 h (Fig. 2
). The stimulatory effects of PGE2 and TPA on
NadPi transport were not additive after 24 h (Table 3
)
or after 0.5, 2, and 6 h (not shown). In fact, PGE2
and TPA in combination increased NadPi transport less
markedly than PGE2 alone after 24 h (Table 3
).
Treatment of the cells with 10-7 M TPA for
24 h abolished subsequent stimulation of NadPi
transport by 10-6 M PGE2, but not
by 10-9 M IGF-I (not shown). TPA at
10-7 M markedly decreased DNA synthesis to
27 ± 4% of the control value (Table 2B
), but had no significant
effect on cell number and protein content per culture dish (Table 3
).
NadPi transport was slightly increased in cells that had
been exposed to A23187, but not in cells exposed to 0.1 and 0.5
mM (Bu)2cAMP, for 24 h. The concentration
of A23187 that produced significant stimulation (1.1-fold) was
10-6 M (Table 2B
), the highest concentration
tested. Na-dependent alanine transport was measured in parallel with
NadPi transport. It was not affected by exposing cells to
TPA, A23187, and (Bu)2cAMP for 24 h (not shown).
A23187 at 10-6 M stimulated NadPi
transport in PyMS cells to the same small extent after 0.5, 2, 6, and
24 h. (Bu)2cAMP at 0.5 mM did not affect
NadPi transport in PyMS cells after 0.5, 2, 6 (not shown),
and 24 h (Table 2B
). At the concentration that had a slight effect
on NadPi transport, 10-7 M A23187
markedly stimulated DNA synthesis
13 ± 0.4-fold (Table 2B
).
(Bu)2cAMP at 0.1 (not shown) and 0.5 mM (Table 2B
) decreased DNA synthesis to
40 ± 2% of the control
value.
Calphostin C, genistein, and wortmannin
We used blockers of signal pathways as an additional approach to
determine which of the second messenger systems was relevant in
mediating increased NadPi transport in response to
PGE2. Calphostin C interacts with the site of
diacylglycerol and phorbol esters and is an inhibitor of PKC, genistein
is an inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, and wortmannin is a blocker of
phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3 kinase. Calphostin C at 10-8
M completely blocked PGE2- and TPA-stimulated,
but not IGF-I-stimulated, NadPi transport after 2 h
(Table 4
). Genistein at 10-8
M partly blocked IGF I-stimulated, but not
PGE2- and TPA-stimulated, NadPi transport after
2 h (Table 4
). Wortmannin at 10-7 M
partly blocked IGF-I-stimulated, but not basal or PGE2- or
TPA-stimulated, NadPi transport after 2 h (Table 4
).
Na-dependent alanine transport was not affected by exposing PyMS cells
to calphostin C, genistein, or wortmannin for 2 h (not shown).
Cell death was a major problem in cell cultures exposed to
10-8 M calphostin C or 10-8
M genistein for 1824 h. At 10-8
M, calphostin C decreased basal NadPi transport
to 87 ± 4% of the control value after 6 h and to 35 ±
12% after 24 h, and decreased PGE2-stimulated
NadPi transport to 84 ± 8% of the control value
after 6 h and to 38 ± 15% after 24 h in two
independent tests (not shown). No concentration of calphostin C was
found that selectively decreased PGE2- or TPA-stimulated,
but not basal, NadPi transport after 6 or 24 h.
Wortmannin at 3 x 10-8 and 10-7
M partly blocked IGF-I-stimulated, but not basal or
PGE2- or TPA-stimulated, NadPi transport after
24 h and decreased basal, PGE2-stimulated,
TPA-inhibited, and IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis (not shown).
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
First of all, we checked whether extracellular mediators were involved in the PGE2 effect on NadPi transport. Indomethacin was added to determine whether the effects of exogenous PGE2 were amplified by locally induced eicosanoids based on observations in murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and in rat osteoblastic Py1a cells (23). The effects of PGE2 on NadPi transport in PyMS cells were not sensitive to indomethacin pretreatment, indicating that increased endogenous PGE2 production under the influence of PGE2 does not play a role. Studies of cultured osteoblastic cells from rat calvariae had shown that PGE2 increased IGF-I production (25, 26). However, PyMS cells barely produce IGF-I (27), and IGF-I production is not increased in response to PGE2. Furthermore, the increase in NadPi transport in response to PGE2 is unlikely to be mediated via increased local IGF-I production, because the effects of IGF-I and PGE2 on NadPi transport are additive. Moreover, IGFBP-3, which blocks the stimulatory effects of IGF-I on PyMS cells, did not affect the stimulatory effect of PGE2 on NadPi transport and DNA synthesis. Locally released PGE2 and IGF-I do not appear to be involved in the observed PGE2-stimulated NadPi transport, and the rapid onset of action points to a direct effect of PGE2.
At least two types of PGE2 receptors are expressed by osteoblasts (21, 28). Bone cells appear to express subtypes EP1 and EP2, but not EP3 messenger RNA (28). EP1 activation is coupled to increased phosphatidylinositol turnover and calcium mobilization, and EP2 mediates increased cAMP formation (20). Bone cells, including the rat Py1a line (similar to PyMS cells), also express PGF receptors (29) to which the PKC signaling pathway may also be coupled. To determine which of the distinct signal transduction pathways influences NadPi transport in PyMS cells, PG receptors were bypassed by pharmacological agents. Direct activation of PKC by TPA caused a dose- and time-dependent increase in NadPi uptake by PyMS cells through an increase in the apparent Vmax. The response to TPA was qualitatively similar to that to PGE2; however, a shorter time of incubation of TPA was required to achieve significant and maximal stimulation of NadPi transport. PGE2 and TPA appear to regulate Pi membrane transport by the same or a similar mechanism. This hypothesis is consistent with the observation that the effects of PGE2 and TPA on NadPi transport in PyMS cells are neither additive nor synergistic at 24 h or any other time period (not shown). The combination of 10-6 M PGE2 and 10-7 M TPA was less effective in stimulating NadPi transport after 24 h than was 10-6 M PGE2 alone. The stimulatory effect of TPA on NadPi transport may vanish because prolonged treatment of the cells with phorbol esters depletes the cellular PKC pools. Consistent with down-regulation of the PKC pathway by TPA, treatment of the cells with 10-7 M TPA for 24 h abolished subsequent stimulation of NadPi transport by 10-6 M PGE2 (but not by 10-9 M IGF-I). However, prolonged (24-h) treatment with TPA leads to profound changes in cell function, including a marked decrease in DNA synthesis compared with the control value. The increase in NadPi transport in response to PGE2 is unlikely to be due to an increase in cAMP formation or an increase in cytosolic calcium levels. (Bu)2cAMP had no effect and the calcium ionophore A23187 only a marginal effect on NadPi transport in PyMS cells. This is in sharp contrast to their effects on DNA synthesis; A23187 increased and (Bu)2cAMP inhibited DNA synthesis in PyMS cells. Stimulation of DNA synthesis by PGE2 and inhibition by Bt2cAMP were also found by Suda et al. in MC3T3-E1 cells (21).
We used not only stimulators, but also blockers, of signal pathways as an additional approach to see which of the second messenger systems were relevant in mediating increased NadPi transport in response to PGE2 (and TPA). We compared the effects of calphostin C, genistein, and wortmannin on IGF-I-, PGE2-, and TPA-stimulated NadPi transport. Calphostin C completely prevented the stimulation of NadPi transport by both PGE2 and TPA, but not by IGF-I, indicating that PGE2 and TPA regulate NadPi transport by a PKC-mediated pathway. Genistein and wortmannin did not affect TPA- and PGE2-stimulated, but partly blocked IGF-I-stimulated, NadPi transport, indicating that the stimulation of NadPi transport by PGE2 and TPA is not mediated via tyrosine kinase- or PI-3 kinase-dependent mechanisms. Genistein-sensitive tyrosine kinases and the PI-3 kinase, however, appear to play a role in the regulation of IGF-I-stimulated NadPi transport. We have previously observed that IGF-I rapidly (within 30 min) stimulated NadPi transport and suggested that it could stimulate exocytotic insertion of Pi transporter-containing vesicles in the plasma membrane because its effects were completely prevented by colchicine, a microtubule-depolymerizing agent (30). The results with the blockers used in this study were obtained mainly in 2-h incubation tests, where the data are consistent with highly specific effects of these blockers on PGE2-, TPA-, and IGF-I-stimulated NadPi transport. Basal NadPi transport was not affected by the blockers within 2 h, but markedly decreased after 6 and 24 h. Exposing the cell cultures for longer time (1824 h) to 10-8 M genistein or 10-8 M calphostin C caused cell death. Incubation with wortmannin was tolerated for 24 h, but the specificity of its effect was possibly lost because the basal rate of DNA synthesis was decreased. Remarkably, neither basal nor PGE2-stimulated NadPi uptake was reduced.
It was considered important to know the influence of PGE2 (and TPA) on DNA synthesis of PyMS cells under our experimental conditions and to compare the results with the data for NadPi transport. PGE2 stimulated DNA synthesis 3-fold in PyMS cells, whereas TPA decreased DNA synthesis to 27% of the control value. PGE2 increased DNA synthesis in preosteoblasts (11) and MC3T3-E1 (21) cells. Because TPA mimicked the early effect of PGE2 on NadPi transport, PGE2 and TPA in the short term seem to affect similar pathways with regard to NadPi uptake; however, the long term effects of PGE2 and TPA are not equal and do not elicit signaling that results in comparable effects on DNA synthesis. Wortmannin decreased DNA synthesis, but not NadPi transport; therefore, PI-3 kinase-dependent pathways appear to be required for DNA synthesis but not for the stimulation of NadPi transport by PGE2. In agreement with our findings, wortmannin blocked insulin-induced, but not TPA-induced, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in rat adipocytes (31), indicating that TPA activates mitogen-activated protein kinase without involvement of the PI-3 kinase. Taken together, the effect of PGE2 on NadPi transport is not simply related to changes in cell growth, as it is clearly dissociated from its effect on DNA synthesis.
In conclusion, our data suggest that PGE2 stimulates NadPi transport in PyMS cells in the short term by using the PKC-mediated signal transduction system.
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
Received June 6, 1997.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
of phosphate transport in osteoblast-like cells.
J Bone Miner Res 6:12351241[Medline]
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. A. Abraham, J. J. Brault, and R. L. Terjung Phosphate uptake and PiT-1 protein expression in rat skeletal muscle Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, July 1, 2004; 287(1): C73 - C78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. R. Beck Jr. and N. Knecht Osteopontin Regulation by Inorganic Phosphate Is ERK1/2-, Protein Kinase C-, and Proteasome-dependent J. Biol. Chem., October 24, 2003; 278(43): 41921 - 41929. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Yoshiko, N. Maeda, and J. E. Aubin Stanniocalcin 1 Stimulates Osteoblast Differentiation in Rat Calvaria Cell Cultures Endocrinology, September 1, 2003; 144(9): 4134 - 4143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Z. Jobbagy, Z. Olah, G. Petrovics, M. V. Eiden, B. D. Leverett, N. M. Dean, and W. B. Anderson Up-regulation of the Pit-2 Phosphate Transporter/Retrovirus Receptor by Protein Kinase C epsilon J. Biol. Chem., March 12, 1999; 274(11): 7067 - 7071. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |