Effects of cadmium on osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro

Cadmium (Cd) may have direct effects on bone metabolism and the mechanism is not fully understood. To investigate the effects of Cd on bone metabolism, effects of Cd on osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro were observed at cellular and molecular levels. Osteoblasts were cultured by sequential enzyme digestion from Sprague-Dawley rats calvarial bone and osteoclasts were isolated from long bones of new-born male and female Sprague-Dawley rats, and then cells were exposed to different concentrations of Cd (0-2.0 μ mol/L for osteoblasts; 0.03 μmol/L for osteoclasts). As for osteoblasts, cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and mineralization were determined. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) were studied via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For osteoclasts, after exposure to Cd (0.03 μmol/L) for 72 h and 120 h, number of osteoclasts and pits formation was observed. Cd inhibited the viability, ALP activity, mineralization and up-regulated RANKL mRNA expression in osteoblasts. But Cd had no obvious effect on OPG mRNA expression. For osteoclasts, cadmium (0.03 μmol/L) could increase the numbers of osteoclasts (p<0.05) and enhance pits formation (p<0.05). These results suggested that Cd could inhibit bone formation at high concentrations and enhance bone resorption at low level. OPG/RANKL may constitute an important pathway of Cd effects on bone.