Evidence for a role for insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in glucocorticoid inhibition of normal human osteoblast-like cell proliferation.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) inhibit bone formation in vivo and inhibit osteoblast proliferation and collagen synthesis in vitro. These effects may be mediated by alterations in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system. In the present study of normal human osteoblast-like (HOB) cells, we tested the hypothesis that dexamethasone (Dex) inhibits IGF anabolic activity in bone by altering expression of IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), particularly by decreasing expression of IGFBP-5 and IGFBP-3 (which enhance IGF activity) and increasing expression of IGFBP-4 (which inhibits IGF actions). Dexamethasone treatment caused a dose-dependent inhibition of HOB cell proliferation (69 +/- 4% of control at 10(-8) mol/l Dex) in seven separate experiments. Dexamethasone decreased IGFBP-5 mRNA levels to 20-30% of control (10(-8) and 10(-7) mol/l for 24 h). In six of six HOB preparations, 10(-8) mol/l Dex decreased IGFBP-5 mRNA levels (35 +/- 7% of control) and this effect was time dependent. Dexamethasone also decreased IGFBP-3 mRNA levels (74 +/- 9% of control in three HOB preparations). Dexamethasone decreased secretion of 29-31-kD IGFBP-5 and 38-42-kD IGFBP-3 proteins, determined by Western ligand blot and IGFBP-5 immunoblot, and induced a dose-dependent decrease in IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 secretion determined by specific radioimmunoassays. The effects of Dex on IGFBP-4 mRNA and on secretion of 25-kD IGFBP-4 levels were inconsistent between different cell preparations. Results suggest that GC inhibition of IGFBP-5 and IGFBP-3 production could decrease IGF activities and contribute to GC inhibition of bone formation.