Molecular and Cell Biology, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, USA.
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
Bone. 2018 Dec;117:138-148. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2018.09.021. Epub 2018 Sep 25.
The stimulatory subunit of G-protein, Gsα, acts as a secondary messenger of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that primarily activates cAMP-induced signaling. GPCRs, such as the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR), are critical regulators of bone formation as shown by number of genetic manipulation studies targeting early osteoblast lineage cells. In this study, we have examined the role of Gsα in osteocytes, the terminally differentiated and most abundant cells of the osteoblast lineage. Mice lacking the stimulatory subunit of G-proteins (Gsα) in osteocytes (DMP1-GsαKO) have significant decrease of both trabecular and cortical bone, as assessed by μCT. Histomorphometric analysis showed that the osteopenia was mostly driven by more than 90% decrease in osteoblast numbers and activity whereas osteoclasts were only slightly decreased. The decrease in osteoblast number was associated with a striking lack of endocortical osteoblasts. We have previously shown that loss of the stimulatory subunit of G-proteins (Gsα) in osteocytes in vitro or in vivo induces high expression of sclerostin. To determine if the increased sclerostin levels contributed to the decreased endosteal bone lining cells and osteopenia, we treated wild-type mice with recombinant sclerostin and the DMP1-GsαKO mice with anti-sclerostin antibody. Treatment of wild-type mice with 100 μg/kg sclerostin for 3-weeks significantly reduced the numbers of bone lining cells and led to osteopenia. Next, the DMP1-GsαKO and control littermates were treated with the anti-sclerostin antibody (25 mg/kg, 2 times per week) for 4-weeks. Upon the antibody treatment, the endocortical osteoblasts reappeared in the DMP1-GsαKO mice to a comparable level to that of the vehicle treated control littermates. In control mice, E11/gp38 positive osteocytes were observed in parallel with the endocortical osteoblasts with higher dendrite density towards the endocortical osteoblasts. In DMP1-GsαKO mice, E11/gp38 positive osteocytes were lacking dendrites and were randomly scattered throughout the bone matrix. After treatment with anti-sclerostin antibody, DMP1-GsαKO mice showed increased E11/gp38 positive osteocytes near the endosteal bone surface and endosteal osteoblasts. The anti-sclerostin antibody treatment proportionally increased the bone volume but it could not completely rescue the osteopenia in the DMP1-GsαKO mice. Taken together, this data suggests that Gsα signaling in osteocytes leads to osteopenia driven, at least in part, by increased secretion of sclerostin.
G 蛋白的刺激亚基 Gsα 作为 G 蛋白偶联受体 (GPCRs) 的第二信使,主要激活 cAMP 诱导的信号。GPCRs,如甲状旁腺激素受体 (PTHR),是骨形成的关键调节剂,这一点已被许多针对早期成骨细胞系细胞的基因操作研究证明。在这项研究中,我们研究了 Gsα 在骨细胞中的作用,骨细胞是成骨细胞系中终末分化和最丰富的细胞。通过 μCT 评估,骨细胞中缺乏 G 蛋白刺激亚基 (Gsα) 的小鼠 (DMP1-GsαKO) 的小梁骨和皮质骨均显著减少。组织形态计量学分析表明,成骨细胞数量和活性减少了 90%以上,导致骨质疏松症,而破骨细胞仅略有减少。成骨细胞数量的减少与皮质内成骨细胞明显缺乏有关。我们之前曾表明,体外或体内骨细胞中 G 蛋白刺激亚基 (Gsα) 的缺失会诱导骨形成蛋白抑制素 (sclerostin) 的高表达。为了确定增加的骨形成蛋白抑制素 (sclerostin) 水平是否导致骨内膜骨衬里细胞减少和骨质疏松症,我们用重组骨形成蛋白抑制素处理野生型小鼠,用抗骨形成蛋白抑制素抗体处理 DMP1-GsαKO 小鼠。用 100μg/kg 的骨形成蛋白抑制素处理 3 周的野生型小鼠显著减少了骨衬里细胞的数量,并导致骨质疏松症。接下来,用抗骨形成蛋白抑制素抗体 (25mg/kg,每周 2 次) 处理 DMP1-GsαKO 小鼠和对照同窝仔鼠 4 周。在抗体治疗后,DMP1-GsαKO 小鼠的骨内膜成骨细胞再次出现,其数量与用载体处理的对照同窝仔鼠相当。在对照小鼠中,E11/gp38 阳性骨细胞与骨内膜成骨细胞平行存在,其树突密度朝向骨内膜成骨细胞更高。在 DMP1-GsαKO 小鼠中,E11/gp38 阳性骨细胞缺乏树突,随机散在整个骨基质中。用抗骨形成蛋白抑制素抗体治疗后,DMP1-GsαKO 小鼠的骨内膜表面附近和骨内膜成骨细胞附近出现更多的 E11/gp38 阳性骨细胞。抗骨形成蛋白抑制素抗体治疗使骨量增加,但不能完全挽救 DMP1-GsαKO 小鼠的骨质疏松症。综上所述,该数据表明,骨细胞中的 Gsα 信号导致骨质疏松症,至少部分原因是骨形成蛋白抑制素分泌增加。