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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Caffeine-mediated enhancement of glucocorticoid receptor activity in human osteoblastic cells
Melanie Föcking1, Diane Schmiegelt, Thorsten Trapp
1Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research, Cologne, Germany.
Abstract:
Caffeine-containing beverage consumption has been reported to be associated with an increased risk for osteoporosis. Since the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a major factor in the induction of osteoporosis we analyzed whether caffeine may act via altering GR function. Applying a reporter gene assay we provide evidence that caffeine drastically amplifies GR transcriptional activity in human osteoblastic cells. Substances that increase the intracellular cyclic AMP-concentration also strengthen the transactivity of the GR and coincubation with caffeine further reinforces this potentiation, indicating that caffeine-mediated enhancement of GR transcriptional function is due to the inhibitory activity of caffeine on the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. Our data suggest evidence for a hitherto unrecognized crosstalk between caffeine-modulated signalling and GR-initiated gene expression in human osteoblastic cells and could provide the molecular basis for the role of caffeine in osteoporosis.
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