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Research
2013.04.09

S1P-mediated osteoclast precursor monocyte migration is a critical point of control in anti-bone-resorptive actions of active vitamin D. (Masaru ISHII in PNAS)

The migration and positioning of osteoclast precursor monocytes are controlled by the blood-enriched lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and have recently been shown to be critical points of control in osteoclast genesis and bone homeostasis.

The authors show that calcitriol, which is the hormonally active form of vitamin D, and its therapeutically used analog, eldecalcitol, inhibit bone resorption by modulating this mechanism. Vitamin D analogs have been used clinically for treating osteoporosis, although the mode of its pharmacologic action remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, they found that active vitamin D reduced the expression of S1PR2, a chemorepulsive receptor for blood S1P, on circulating osteoclast precursor monocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Calcitriol- or eldecalcitol- treated monocytoid RAW264.7 cells, which display osteoclast precursor-like properties, migrated readily to S1P. Concordantly, the mobility of circulating CX3CR1+ osteoclast precursor monocytes was significantly increased on systemic administration of active vitamin D.

These results show a mechanism for active vitamin D in controlling the migratory behavior of circulating osteoclast precursors, and this action should be conducive to limiting osteoclastic bone resorption in vivo.



Article

Contact:

Masaru ISHII
Cellular Dynamics
Immunology Frontier Research Center (WPI-IFReC), Osaka University