Autocrine Regulation of Osteoclast Formation and Bone Resorption by IL-1α and TNFα

Abstract

Bone resorption is regulated by the cytokines within marrow cells that mediate osteoclast formation and activation. IL-1 and TNF induce bone resorption by stimulating the production of osteoclast-like multinucleated cells and by increasing the bone-resorbing activity of formed osteoclasts. This study was designed to detect IL-1 and TNF in osteoclasts in vitro and to determine whether these cytokines up-regulate osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. The production of IL-1α, -β, and TNFa, β in osteoclasts was examined immunohistochemically and by in situ hybridization. In the co-culture of C57BL/6N mouse bone marrow and MC3T3-G2/PA6 cells, a colony of osteoclasts formed, and IL-1α and TNFa were detected. However, IL-1β and TNF β were not detected. To investigate the role of IL-1α and TNFα from osteoclasts, we enumerated TRAP-positive cells and measured the resorption pit areas in the presence of antibodies against IL-1α and TNFα. The addition of antibodies against IL-1α and TNFα to the co-culture system decreased the number of TRAP-positive colonies at seven days after incubation (anti-IL-1α, 25.0 ± 2.3%; anti-TNFα, 41.7 ± 3.7%; anti-IL-1α + anti-TNFα, 40.5 ± 1.3%; and control, 100%), and the ratio of mononuclear to multinuclear cells had changed (anti-IL-1α, 90:10; anti-TNFα, 75:25; anti-IL-1α+ anti-TNFα, 88:12; and control, 60:40). The total pit areas per dentin slice also decreased with the addition of antibodies (anti-IL-1α, 28,828; anti-TNFα, 49,249; anti-IL-1α + anti-TNFα, 30,685; and control, 303,139 mm2). These results suggest that local production of IL-la and TNFα by osteoclasts is an important mechanism for regulating the osteoclast differentiation and bone resorptive process.