A relation between osteoclastogenesis inhibition and membrane-type estrogen receptor GPR30

Disruption of the cooperative balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts causes various bone disorders, some of which are because of abnormal osteoclast recruitment. Osteoporosis, one of the bone disorders, is not effectively treated by currently available medicines. In addition to the development of novel drugs for palliative treatment, the exploitation of novel compounds for preventive treatment is important in an aging society. Quercetin, a major flavonoid found in many fruits and vegetables, has been expected to inhibit cancer and prevent several diseases because of its anti-inflammatory and estrogenic functions. It has been reported that quercetin has the potential to reduce bone resorption, but the mechanism by which this compound affects the differentiation of osteoclasts remains unknown. Here, using a bone marrow cell-based in vitro osteoclast differentiation system from bone marrow cells, we found that the ability of quercetin to inhibit osteoclastogenesis was related to its estrogenic activity. The inhibition was partially blocked by a specific antagonist for the nuclear receptor estrogen receptor α, but a specific antagonist of the membrane-type receptor GPR30 completely ablated this inhibition. Furthermore, quercetin suppressed the transient increase of Akt phosphorylation induced by the stimulation of macrophage colony-stimulating factor and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand with no effect on MAPK phosphorylation, suggesting exquisite crosstalk between cytokine receptor and G-protein coupled receptor signaling. These results indicate the important role of GPR30 in osteoclast differentiation and provide new insights to the development of new treatments for osteoporosis.