Preventive effect of zinc against cadmium-induced bone resorption

The effects of cadmium and zinc on bone resorption were investigated using fetal mouse calvaria organ culture. Cadmium treatment (0.5 microM) stimulated bone resorption in fetal mouse calvaria via prostaglandin E2 production. Concomitant treatment of zinc with cadmium prevented bone resorption by cadmium in a dose-dependent manner of zinc. The zinc treatment also prevented the stimulation of prostaglandin E2 production by cadmium. ID50 of zinc for bone resorption showed high similarity to that for prostaglandin E2 production (1.2 microM and 1.6 microM, respectively). To simplify the system, we used osteoclast-enriched and osteoblast-enriched cell populations obtained from mice calvariae by collagenase digestion method. Prostaglandin E2 was produced in osteoblast-enriched cell culture more than in osteoclast-enriched cell culture. Cadmium stimulated prostaglandin E2 production in osteoblast-enriched cell culture, but not in osteoclast-enriched cell culture. Zinc also prevented the stimulatory effect of cadmium on prostaglandin E2 production in osteoblast-enriched cell culture. Zinc partially, but significantly, inhibited cadmium-accumulation in both calvaria and osteoblast-enriched cell culture. These results strongly suggest that zinc prevents cadmium-induced prostaglandin E2 production and bone resorption through the interaction between the two metals on osteoblasts involved in the inhibition of cadmium-accumulation.