Palytoxin: an extraordinarily potent stimulator of prostaglandin production and bone resorption in cultured mouse calvariae.

Palytoxin, a nonphorbol ester-type tumor promoter, stimulated the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and bone resorption in neonatal mouse calvariae in organ culture. The action of palytoxin on bone resorption occurred at extraordinarily low concentrations; enhanced resorption was regularly observed at 0.5 pg/ml, and the ED50 was 1-2 pg/ml (approximately 3 X 10(-13) M). Palytoxin-induced formation of PGE2 and bone resorption were inhibited completely by indomethacin (200 ng/ml). Concentrations of palytoxin above 10 pg/ml led to progressively decreasing enhancement of bone resorption; by 100-250 pg/ml no stimulation of resorption was observed despite continued high production of PGE2. Treatment with high concentrations of palytoxin (100 or 250 pg/ml) for 24-72 h inhibited cAMP accumulation stimulated by exogenous PGE2 or PTH and inhibited bone resorption induced by PGE2, PTH, or an analog of cAMP. Thus, palytoxin exhibited a biphasic dose-response curve for enhanced bone resorption, with stimulation at low concentrations (0.5-10 pg/ml) and toxic inhibition at high concentrations (greater than 50 pg/ml). Palytoxin is one of the most potent stimulators of bone resorption yet identified.