Time course of "escape" from calcitonin-induced inhibition of motility and resorption of disaggregated osteoclasts.

The reversible calcitonin (CT)-induced inhibition of osteoclastic activity has been studied to clarify the mechanisms responsible for the so-called "escape phenomenon." Osteoclasts disaggregated from neonatal rabbits were cultured on glass coverslips or thin bovine bone slices. Resorption activity was evaluated by using time-lapse recording and scanning electron microscopy. Addition of CT to the cultures caused most osteoclasts on glass surfaces to be immotile and contracted. From 1.5 h onward, in cultures with CT, osteoclasts started to escape from CT-induced quiescence independently of other cells. CT also prevented osteoclasts on bone slices from excavating bone while concomitant cell immobility occurred. Inhibited osteoclasts were able to regain apparent bone-resorbing potency only after resumption of cytoplasmic immobility. The resumption of bone resorption could begin as early as 9.7 h after CT addition. The observations indicate that CT-induced inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption is associated with inhibition of cytoplasmic motility and that the "escape" phenomenon reflects resumption of activity of osteoclasts that were previously inhibited by CT action rather than the resportive activity of newly formed osteoclasts.