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Endocrinology Vol. 141, No. 7 2674-2682
Copyright © 2000 by The Endocrine Society


ARTICLES

Targeted Overexpression of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I to Osteoblasts of Transgenic Mice: Increased Trabecular Bone Volume without Increased Osteoblast Proliferation1

Guisheng Zhao, Marie-Claude Monier-Faugere, Moises Chris Langub, Zhaopo Geng, Toshiyuki Nakayama, J. Wesley Pike, Steven D. Chernausek, Clifford J. Rosen, Leah-Rae Donahue, Hartmut H. Malluche, James A. Fagin and Thomas L. Clemens

Division of Endocrinology (G.Z., T.N., J.W.P., J.A.F., T.L.C.), Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267; Research Service (T.L.C.), Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220; Division of Nephrology, Bone and Mineral Metabolism (M.-C.M.-F., M.C.L., Z.G., H.H.M.), University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536; Division of Endocrinology (S.D.C.), Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229; Maine Center for Osteoporosis Research and Education (C.R., L.-R.D.), St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor, Maine 04401

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Thomas L. Clemens, Ph.D., Division of Endocrinology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, 3125 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267. E-mail: Clementl{at}uc.edu


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an important growth factor for bone, yet the mechanisms that mediate its anabolic activity in the skeleton are poorly understood. To examine the effects of locally produced IGF-I in bone in vivo, we targeted expression IGF-I to osteoblasts of transgenic mice using a human osteocalcin promoter. The IGF-I transgene was expressed in bone osteoblasts in OC-IGF-I transgenic mice at high levels in the absence of any change in serum IGF-I levels, or of total body growth. Bone formation rate at the distal femur in 3-week-old OC-IGF-I transgenic mice was approximately twice that of controls. By 6 weeks, bone mineral density as measured by dual energy x-ray, and quantitative computed tomography was significantly greater in OC-IGF-I transgenic mice compared with controls. Histomorphometric measurements revealed a marked (30%) increase femoral cancellous bone volume in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice, but no change in the total number of osteoblasts or osteoclasts. Transgenic mice also demonstrated an increase in the osteocyte lacunea occupancy, suggesting that IGF-I may extend the osteocyte life span. We conclude that IGF-I produced locally in bone osteoblasts exerts its anabolic effect primarily by increasing the activity of resident osteoblasts.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR I (IGF-I) and IGF-II are small structurally related polypeptides with homology to proinsulin that are produced by many cell types including bone cells (1). IGFs are synthesized de novo by osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and osteocytes and deposited into bone matrix. In the rodent, IGF-II is believed to function primarily to control intrauterine growth, whereas IGF-I is critical for both prenatal and postnatal growth and is the dominant IGF in adult bone. The synthesis of IGF-I by osteoblasts is regulated by a variety of systemic hormones and local factors (reviewed in Refs. 1, 2, 3).

Numerous in vitro studies have documented the ability of IGF-I to influence osteoblast growth and differentiation (2). IGF-I exerts its actions through the type I IGF receptor, a tyrosine kinase receptor structurally related to the insulin receptor (4). IGF-I also exerts distinct activities on differentiated osteoblast function. For example, during the initial phases of differentiation of fetal rat calvarial osteoblasts in vitro, IGF-I promotes the progression of a preosteoblast to mature osteoblast (5). IGF-I expression declines with the appearance of the differentiated osteoblast phenotype but rises again during the terminal phases of osteoblast differentiation. Moreover, IGF-I can induce type I collagen expression and inhibit collagen degradation in differentiated fetal rat osteoblasts (6, 7, 8).

In addition to its growth promoting effects, IGF-I is increasingly recognized as an important survival factor for many cell types including neurons (9), skeletal myoblasts (10), fibroblasts (11), and osteoblasts (12). IGF-I also appears to regulate bone resorption, but whether this occurs by a direct action on osteoclasts is still uncertain. IGF-I promotes the formation of osteoclast-like cells from mononuclear precursors and can stimulate the resorptive activity of preexist osteoclasts (13). However, both of these actions likely require the presence of osteoblasts. Thus IGF-I appears to play a fundamental role in bone remodeling and influence osteoblast differentiation, matrix production, and mineralization, as well as osteoclastic activity.

Despite many in vitro studies supporting a role for IGF-I in regulating bone formation and turnover, precisely how this growth factor functions in its normal paracrine setting in vivo is less well understood. This is largely due to the fact that each tissue environment has a specific set of IGFBPs and IGFBP-specific proteases that modulate the bioavailability of IGF-I. Recent studies in genetically altered mice have confirmed the importance of IGF-I in the development of a normal skeleton in vivo. For example, mice lacking the IGF-I gene (14) appear to develop normally but are smaller than wild-type mice and frequently die in the postnatal period. By contrast, IGF-I receptor (-/-) mice demonstrate organ hypoplasia, delayed skeletal calcification, severe growth retardation, and invariably die postnatally. Thus, while these models suggest that IGFs play important roles in embryogenesis, severe disturbances in organ development and frequent lethality prohibit the use of these models for examination of the physiologic role of IGF-I in the mature animal. On the other hand, overexpression of growth factors and cytokines has provided additional insight into their biology. For example, transgenic mice that overexpress IGF-I ubiquitously demonstrate selective organomegaly but without an increase in skeletal growth (15).

To provide a more physiological context to study the skeletal actions of IGF-I, we examined the impact of overexpression of IGF-I in osteoblasts of transgenic mice. Quantitative histomorphometric analysis revealed a dramatic increase in trabecular bone volume at the distal femur. This anabolic action occurred without a significant increase in the numbers of osteoblasts, indicating that locally produced IGF-I functions primarily to increase the metabolic activity of resident osteoblasts.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Construction of osteocalcin/IGF-I fusion gene
The osteocalcin-IGF-I chimeric gene (OC-IGF-I) was constructed by fusing a 3,900-bp segment of the human osteocalcin promoter (16) with the second intron of rabbit ß-globin and a rat IGF-I complementary DNA (cDNA) (17). The plasmid pSMP8-IGF-I (17), which contains the rat IGF-I cDNA upstream of an SV40 polyA signal sequence, was cut with BamHI, filled in with Klenow, and then restricted with HindIII to remove the SMP8 promoter fragment. Plasmid pKBPA (provided by Dr. F. DeMayo, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX) containing the ß-globin second intron, was first cut with EcoRI, treated with S1 nuclease to create the blunt end, and then with BamHI to release the ß-globin second intron fragment containing the splice sites. The osteocalcin promoter fragment was released from plasmid pOC-Luc (18) by partial digestion with BglII followed by restriction with KpnI and HindIII. The osteocalcin promoter, the ß-globin second intron, and the IGF-I cDNA fragments were then ligated to create pOC-IGF-I. The diagram of this construct is shown in Fig. 1Go.



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Figure 1. Linear map of the OC-IGF-I fusion gene. A 3,900-bp segment of the human osteocalcin promoter (hOC), the transcription start site, and a short 5' UT was fused to a construct consisting of the rabbit ß-globin second intron, a 0.7-kb rat IGF-I cDNA, followed by a 240-bp SV40 early polyadenylation signal sequence.

 
Generation of transgenic mice and determination of transgene expression
The OC-IGF-I fusion gene was excised from plasmid pOC-IGF-I by restriction digestion with HindIII and EcoRI before microinjection. The male pronuclei of fertilized eggs from FVB-N mouse strains were microinjected with 2 pl of linearized DNA at the transgenic mouse facility of the University of Cincinnati. Microinjected eggs were implanted into oviducts of pseudopregnant female mice and carried to term. Positive founders for OC-IGF-I were identified by Southern blotting, and bred to wild-type FVB-N mice. Heterozygotes and nontransgenic littermates from the F1 and subsequent generations were selected by Southern blotting of genomic DNA. All animals received humane care in compliance with the local Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Total RNA was isolated from tissues by a single step acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction method. Northern blots were performed as described (17). Briefly, 10 µg of tissue total RNA were gel-separated, transferred to a nylon membrane, and then hybridized with random primed rat IGF-I cDNA. For standardization, blots were rehybridized with either human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) cDNA, when comparing within the same tissue type, or 18S rRNA, for comparisons between different tissues.

Measurement of serum IGF-I concentrations
Serum concentrations of IGF-I were determined using an IGF-I RIA (Diagnostics Systems Laboratories, Inc. Webster, TX) following extraction to remove IGF binding proteins. The limit of detection of the assay is 21 ng/ml.

In situ hybridization
In situ hybridization of IGF-I messenger RNA (mRNA) was performed on undecalcified sections of mouse femur. Three micron-thick sections were pretreated as follows: Sections were deplasticized in 2-methoxy ethylacetate, rinsed in PBS, incubated in 0.1 M HCl for 5 min, and then rinsed in PBS. Slides were then incubated in proteinase K for 15 min at 37 C, washed in fresh 0.2% glycine, incubated in 0.1M triethanolamine (TEA) with 0.25% acetic anhydride for 10 min, washed in 0.2 x SSC, and dehydrated in graded EtOH solutions. Sections were rinsed in chloroform and then in 100% EtOH. An antisense cRNA probe for rat IGF-I was labeled with 33P-rUTP, using a commercially available kit (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA). For generation of the antisense IGF-I riboprobe, the prIGF-I plasmid was linearized with BamHI, and transcribed with T7 RNA polymerase. The 733-bp product encodes 678-bp complementary to IGF-I mRNA. The sense IGF-I 732-bp riboprobe was obtained after linearizing the same vector with EcoRI, and transcribing with T3 RNA polymerase. Hybridization was performed with either antisense or sense rat IGF-I riboprobes at a concentration of 1 x 106 cpm per section in 200 µl of hybridization buffer (deionized formamide, 50% dextran sulfate, 5 M NaCl, 1 M Tris, 0.5 M EDTA, 50 x Denhardt’s solution, 1 M DTT, and DEPC-treated water) at 55 C overnight. Subsequently, slides were washed in 2 x SSC, incubated in RNase A at 37 C, and briefly rinsed in 1 x SSC. Slides were then incubated in 1 x SSC at 67 C for 30 min, rinsed in 1 x SSC at room temperature, regularly rinsed in graded EtOH solutions, and air dried before being dipped in NTB emulsion and exposed for 4 weeks. After development, slides were counterstained with hematoxylin, dehydrated in graded EtOH and xylenes, and then coverslipped.

Measurement of bone mineral density
Bone mineral density was measured at the femur and spine using the PIXImus small animal DEXA system (Lunar Corp., Madison, WI), software version 1.43.036.008. Data were acquired from isolated specimens that included the lumbar vertebrae, the pelvic girdle and both hind legs. The resolution of the PIXImus is 0.18 x 0.18 mm pixels with a usable scanning area of 80 x 65 mm, allowing for measurement of single whole mice and collections of isolated specimens. Calibrations were performed with a phantom using known values, and quality assurance measurements were performed daily with this same phantom. The precision for BMD is less than 1% for whole body and approximately 1.5% for specialized regions.

Bone mineral density of isolated femurs was also measured by pQCT with a Stratec XCT 960M (Norland Medical Systems, Inc., Ft. Atkinson, WI) as previously described (19). Femurs were scanned at 2-mm intervals over their entire lengths, using an x-ray attenuation threshold of 2.000 U to define high density bone, a threshold of 1.300 to define low density bone, and a unit volume for measurement of mineral set at 0.1 mm3. The precision of this instrument for densitometry of mouse bones has been determined to be 1.2% by repeated placement and measurement of a single femur. Calibration of the densitometer was done with a set of hydroxyapatite standards and yielded a correlation of 0.997 between standards and pQCT estimation of bone density. In this paper, femoral BMD is defined as total femoral mineral divided by total femoral volume.

Mineralized bone histology and bone morphometry
Distal femora and calvaria were fixed in 100% ethanol. After dehydration, bone samples were embedded in methyl methacrylate (20) and 4-µm sections were cut with a heavy-duty microtome (Microm, C.Carl Zeiss, Thornwood, NY). This thickness allows analysis of the same histologic features in slides prepared for light and fluorescent microscopy. Four bone sections were stained using the modified Masson-Goldner trichrome technique (21), and four others serial to the stained sections were left unstained for fluorescent microscopy.

Static and dynamic parameters of bone structure, formation, and resorption were measured at a standardized site below the growth plate using a semiautomatic method (Osteoplan II, Kontron Instruments Ltd. Munich, Germany) (22). All parameters comply with the recommendations of the Histomorphometry Nomenclature Committee of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (23).

Statistical analysis
Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. All statistical tests were two-sided. An assigned significance level of 0.05 was used. Comparability of the two groups at any given time was assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparability of data from a group at different time points was done using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. All computations were performed using the SPSS, Inc. software package for Windows release 7.5 (SPSS, Inc. Chicago, IL). Data for bone density obtained by DEXA and pQCT were analyzed by Student’s t test.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Generation of transgenic mice and examination of transgene expression
Seven OC-IGF-I founder animals were obtained from a total of 43 mice screened. In subsequent generations, matings of hemizygous transgenic mice with controls produced about 50% transgenic offspring, with equal sex distribution. The level of transgenic IGF-I mRNA in calvaria from 6-week-old OC-IGF-I transgenic mice varied among lines as shown in Fig. 2AGo. Two mouse lines with high levels of mRNA expression (36, 32) were selected for more extensive analysis. The distribution of expression of the IGF-I transgene in tissues dissected from a 6-week-old OC-IGF-I transgenic female mouse of line 36 is shown in Fig. 2BGo. Endogenous IGF-I mRNA was detectable in the liver, whereas the IGF-I transgene was detected at high levels in calvaria, femur, and vertebrae. The greater size of the transgenic IGF-I mRNA likely reflects differences in the composition of the 3' UT and polyA region of the transgenic message.



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Figure 2. Bone-specific expression of OC-IGF-I mRNA in tissues from transgenic mice. A, Northern blot analysis of OC-IGF-I mRNA in individual calvaria from seven separate lines of transgenic mice. Ten micrograms of total RNA were gel-separated, transferred to a nylon membrane, and then sequentially hybridized with a rat IGF-I cDNA (top panel) and human GAPDH probes (bottom panel). Line 36 shows the highest level of IGF-I mRNA expression. B, Northern blot analysis of OC-IGF-I transgene expression in tissues from a transgenic mouse of line 36. Ten micrograms of tissue total RNA were gel-separated, transferred to a nylon membrane, and then sequentially hybridized with a rat IGF-I cDNA (top panel) and human 18S rRNA probes (bottom panel). The expression of endogenous 7.5 and 0.8-kb mIGF-I mRNA transcripts are apparent in liver.

 
IGF-I mRNA was localized by in situ hybridization to osteoblasts lining periosteal and endosteal surfaces of mineralized bone both in OC-IGF-I transgenic and control mice (Fig. 3Go). In the transgenic mice, the abundance of transcript varied among individual osteoblasts possibly reflecting heterogeneity of differentiation status of the osteoblast. Signals were also observed in osteocytes (Fig. 3FGo) and occasionally in bone marrow (not shown) likely due to OC-IGF-I transgene expression by megakaryocytes, which are known to express osteocalcin (24). IGF-I mRNA signals were also observed in osteoblasts of control mice but at lower intensity than that in the transgenic mice (Fig. 3EGo).



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Figure 3. Localization of OC-IGF-I mRNA in distal femur from transgenic mice by in situ hybridization using [33p]rUTP-labeled sense and antisense cRNA probes for rat IGF-I. A, Undecalcified section of distal femur from a transgenic mouse (line 36) hybridized with the antisense probe for rat IGF-I. Signals (black grains) are evident over osteoblasts (arrows). B, Section of distal femur from a transgenic mouse that has been hybridized with the sense probe for rat IGF-I. C, High power magnification of a section of distal femur from a transgenic mouse hybridized to the antisense probe. D, H&E staining of the same section as shown in (C). The large arrow indicates a single osteoblast adjacent to the mineralized surface with high level of expression as shown in (C). E, Section of distal femur from a wild-type mouse that has been hybridized with the antisense probe for rat IGF-I, showing the endogenous IGF-I expression (arrows). F, Section of distal femur from a transgenic mouse hybridized with the antisense probe showing IGF-I expression in osteocytes (arrows).

 
Total body weights and serum IGF-I levels in OC-IGF-I transgenic mice
Total body weight was determined in mice derived from line 36 at weekly intervals for up to 16 weeks following weaning. As shown in Fig. 4Go, there is no significant difference in total body weight in transgenic mice compared with their nontransgenic littermates. Serum IGF-I levels were also not significantly different in transgenic vs. control mice (Fig. 4Go, inset). These results demonstrate that locally overexpressed IGF-I does not escape into plasma.



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Figure 4. Growth curves of male and female OC-IGF-I transgenic mouse line 36 and nontransgenic controls. Inset, Serum levels of IGF-I in 6-week-old female transgenic and wild-type mice as determined by RIA.

 
Overexpression of IGF-I in osteoblasts increases femoral trabecular density and volume
To determine the impact of IGF-I overexpression on bone, we measured femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in groups of 6-week-old female control and OC-IGF-I transgenic mice. BMD measured by PIXI was significantly greater in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice compared with controls (Table 1Go). There was no significant change in the length of the femur or its width at the diaphysis (not shown). Measurement of BMD by pQCT revealed a significant increase in both cortical and trabecular BMD in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice compared with controls. PIXI measurements on femora from a second line (no. 32) of OC-IGF-I transgenic mice also showed a significant increase in BMD compared with controls (Table 1Go).


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Table 1. Bone density in OC-IGF-I transgenic and wild-type mice

 
Static and dynamic histomorphometric measurements were made at the distal femur and calvaria from mouse line no. 36 at 3, 6, and 24 weeks of age. Consistent with the observed increase in femoral BMD, 6-week-old OC-IGF-I transgenic mice had a significantly greater trabecular bone volume and thickness and a corresponding reduction in trabecular separation compared with controls (Fig. 5Go). Trabecular bone volume was also significantly increased in 6-week-old OC-IGF-I transgenic mice from a second line (no. 32) (9.11 ± 0.55 vs. 7.23 ± 0.56% for transgenic and control mice, respectively, P = 0.039). In mice from line no. 36, cortical bone volume was not significantly altered in the OC-IGF-I mice (not shown). No significant changes in any histomorphometric parameter were seen at 3 weeks or 24 weeks of age (Table 2Go). This suggested that the greater bone volume and density in the 6-week-old transgenic mice resulted from an increased rate of bone formation at an earlier time. As shown in Fig. 6Go, 3Go-week-old OC-IGF-I mice had a dramatic increase in bone formation rate and decrease in mineralization lag time. Significant changes were also observed in mineral apposition rate, and osteoid maturation time in transgenic mice compared with controls at 3 weeks (Table 2Go). When viewed under polarized light, the newly formed bone had normal lamellar architecture with no evidence of woven bone. By contrast, no changes were observed in total calvarial thickness in the OC-IGF-I mice compared with controls at any time. However, in 3-week-old transgenic mice, calvarial porosity was reduced as shown in Fig. 7Go.



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Figure 5. Trabecular bone volume (A) and thickness (B) at the distal femur of 3- and 6-week-old female OC-IGF-I transgenic and nontransgenic mice. n = 12 (WT) and n = 14 (TG) at 3 weeks, n = 8 (WT) and n = 12 (TG) at 6 weeks. Data are mean ± SEM. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01.

 

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Table 2. Histomorphometric measurements in OC-IGF-I transgenic and wild type mice at the distal femur

 


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Figure 6. Effect of IGF-I expression on bone formation rate in OC-IFG-I mice. Mice were administered two sequential doses of calcein 3 days apart before sacrifice and dynamic indices of bone turnover were measured. Left panel, Representative flurochrome labeled sections of distal femur from wild-type (top) and transgenic mice (bottom). Right panel, Increase in bone formation rate and decrease in mineralization lag time in 3-week-old OC-IGF-I transgenic (TG, n = 14) vs. wild-type (WT, n = 12) mice. Data represent mean ± SEM. *, P < 0.01.

 


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Figure 7. Cortical width and cortical porosity in calvaria from 3-week-old female OC-IGF-I transgenic (n = 14) and nontransgenic mice (n = 12). Data are mean ± SEM; *, P < 0.05.

 
Interestingly, the increased bone formation rate in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice was not associated with increased numbers of osteoblasts, osteocytes, or osteoclasts (Table 2Go). However, at 3 weeks, the bone formation rate per osteoblast was higher in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice compared with controls (19.25 + 5.26 vs. 8.13 + 1.23 mm3/ob/yr), suggesting that IGF-I increased the activity of individual osteoblasts. There were no significant differences in bone formation rate or any other dynamic measures in 6- and 24-week-old OC-IGF-I mice compared with controls (Table 2Go).

Overexpression of IGF-I in osteoblasts increases osteocytic lacunae occupancy
Osteocytes are former osteoblasts that have become encased in bone and are believed to function as mechanosensors (25). As the osteocalcin promoter is transcriptionally active in osteocytes we compared the total number of osteocyte lacunae and osteocyte occupancy frequency in OC-IGF-I transgenic mice to controls. At 3 weeks, osteocyte number and occupancy frequency were similar in transgenic and wild-type mice (Fig. 8AGo). There was also a significant decline in the number of osteocytic lacunae per bone area in both transgenic and nontransgenic mice at 6 weeks compared with 3 weeks (Fig. 8AGo). However, at 6 weeks, the percent of occupied osteocytic lacunae in wild-type mice had dropped, whereas in transgenic mice the proportion remained the same and was significantly higher than that in wild-type (Fig. 8BGo). Thus, IGF-I overexpression in osteoblasts increased the osteocytic lacunae occupancy.



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Figure 8. Effect of IGF-I overexpression on osteocytic lacunae occupancy. A, Decline in osteocyte numbers in both transgenic and wild-type mice. B, Percent of occupied osteocytic lacunae in transgenic ({blacksquare}) and wild-type mice ({square}) at 3 and 6 weeks. n = 12 (WT) and n = 14 (TG) at 3 weeks, n = 8 (WT) and n = 12 (TG) at 6 weeks. Data represent mean ± SEM. *, P < 0.05.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The anabolic effects of IGF-I on the skeleton have been demonstrated in vitro in osteoblast cultures and in vivo following systemic infusion in animals and man. However, because IGF-I can act both in an endocrine and autocrine/paracrine manner, the relative importance of local vs. systemic IGF-I to bone formation and turnover has been difficult to establish. In this study, we examined the skeletal consequences of local overexpression of IGF-I in bone by genetically engineering mice to express rat IGF-I in osteoblasts. Consistent with previous studies (26), the OC promoter directed expression of the IGF-I transgene exclusively to skeletal tissue. In situ hybridization indicated that the transgene was expressed predominantly by osteoblasts adjacent to mineralizing surfaces. Despite robust skeletal expression of the IGF-I transgene to levels many fold greater than that of endogenous IGF-I, neither serum IGF-I levels nor total body weight was significantly altered in the OC-IGF-I mice. This is critical to the interpretation of our findings because elevations in circulating IGF-I are accompanied by reductions in GH levels, increased phosphate resorption, and serum 1,25-(OH)2D levels (27). Such potentially confounding effects could explain conflicting data in the literature on the skeletal effects of systemically delivered IGF-I in rats. For example, Ibbotson et al. (28) found that infusion of IGF-I into ovariectomized rats increased trabecular bone turnover and cortical porosity and reduced bone mineral content. By contrast, other studies using similar rat models have shown an increased bone volume and increased bone formation rate (29, 30).

The skeletal phenotype of our transgenic mice with osteoblast-specific overexpression of IGF-I enables new insights into the cellular mechanisms by which locally produced IGF-I exerts anabolic actions on the skeleton. As mentioned above, previous studies in cultured osteoblasts have shown that IGF-I exerts multiple actions including promoting proliferation and prolonging life span by decreasing the frequency of apoptosis. In addition, IGF-I has been shown to increase the formation of osteoclast-like cells from mononuclear precursors (13). However, the increase in bone formation rate in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice took place in the absence of any change in the number of either osteoblasts or osteoclasts. Moreover, when bone formation rate was expressed per osteoblast, it was greater in OC-IGF-I mice than controls. This suggests that the primary effect of IGF-I is to increase the work per unit time of resident osteoblasts. One caveat to this interpretation is that IGF-I may have exerted a more dramatic effect on the mature, well differentiated osteoblast owing to greater expression of the OC-IGF-I transgene by these cells. While we do not exclude this possibility, it seems likely that the preosteoblasts, which also express osteocalcin (31) and are in close spatial proximity to mature osteoblasts, would therefore be also exposed to high levels of IGF-I. Despite this, however, osteoblast number was unchanged in the IGF-I overexpressing mice consistent with the notion that IGF-I functions primarily to enhance the activity of existing osteoblasts rather by promoting replication of osteoblast progenitors. This observation is in keeping with results from in vitro studies demonstrating that IGF-I is a relatively weak mitogen for osteoblasts (32) but has profound effects on cellular metabolic activities including enhanced ascorbic acid transport which are required for collagen formation (33).

In theory, antiapoptotic actions of IGF-I may have also contributed to its anabolic effect by prolonging osteoblast life span and thereby extending the time spent in matrix formation. However, a significant decrease in the rate of osteoblast apoptosis should have resulted in increased osteoblast and osteocyte number as the population of the latter cell is determined by input from the osteoblast pool (34). For example, in mice given intermittent doses of PTH, a 10- to 20-fold decrease in the rate of osteoblast apoptosis was accompanied by a marked (40–60%) increase in osteoblast numbers and osteocyte density with no apparent change in osteoblast proliferation rate (34). By contrast, neither osteoblast nor osteocyte number was altered in the OC-IGF-I mice, suggesting that antiapoptotic effects of IGF-I on osteoblasts, if present, were minimal. The increased osteocyte lacunae occupancy in the OC-IGF-I mice is intriguing and at first glance suggested that IGF-I might be prolonging the life-span of the osteocyte. However, in this scenario, one would again expect an increase in osteocyte density unless the entrance of osteoblasts into the osteocyte pool was also diminished. Therefore, it is possible that the overexpression of IGF-I both interfered with osteocyte generation and prolonged their life span.

The effects of IGF-I overexpression were more pronounced in trabecular than in cortical bone. Moreover, cranial thickness was influenced in the OC-IGF-I transgenic mice. This shows that the anabolic activity of IGF-I is dependent on the skeletal site. Expression of transgenic IGF-I mRNA was greater in calvaria than in femur (Fig. 2Go), excluding the possibility that the site specificity was due to a difference in expression of the transgene. Levels of IGFs and IGFBPs vary significantly among different skeletal sites (35), and it is possible that the abundance of IGF-I relative to inhibitory or stimulatory binding proteins are important determinants of site-specific actions of IGFs. However, it seems unlikely that these considerations are central to the differences observed because the levels of transgene expression were high at all bone sites. Trabecular bone at the distal femur is known to be a site of very active modeling in the pubertal mouse (Faugere, M.-C., unpublished observations). Therefore, it is more likely that the effects of IGF-I on cellular activity within this compartment are more pronounced. It is interesting to note that targeted expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to osteoblasts of transgenic mice also increased trabecular bone formation rate at the distal femur but not in calvaria (36). IGF-I mRNA abundance in bone from the CGRP transgenic mice was increased suggesting that IGF-I may have contributed to the accelerated bone formation rate seen in this model.

Interestingly, the increase in trabecular bone volume observed in the OC-IGF-I mice at 6 weeks had returned to control levels by 24 weeks (Table 2Go). It is unlikely that an age-related decrease in the activity of the osteocalcin promoter accounted for the waning of the anabolic effect because bone IGF-I mRNA levels were similar in 3, 6, and 24-week-old mice (not shown). It is more likely that overexpression of IGF-I triggered counter-regulatory events such as down-regulation of the IGF-I receptor and/or up-regulation of expression of inhibitory IGFBPs. For instance, an up-regulation of IGFBP-4, an abundant IGF binding protein in bone (37), would likely reduce the growth factors access to its receptor. However, the exact mechanisms responsible for the transient nature of the anabolic effect remain unclear at present and are the subject of ongoing investigations.

In summary, targeted overexpression of IGF-I to osteoblasts of transgenic mice increases cancellous bone formation rate and volume without any change in osteoblast number. We conclude that locally delivered IGF-I exerts its anabolic actions primarily, if not exclusively, by increasing the activity of resident osteoblasts. The effects are most pronounced during the pubertal period, a time when peak bone mass is achieved in the mouse. The signaling pathways through which IGF-I exerts its anabolic actions represent attractive targets for new therapeutic agents to optimize bone mass.


    Acknowledgments
 
The authors are indebted to Jianwei Wang for his technical help and to Ted Gross for useful discussion during preparation of this manuscript.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported in part by NIH Grants DK-43184 and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Back

Received February 22, 2000.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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