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Glucocorticoids modulate macrophage surface oligosaccharides and their bone binding activity.

Z Bar-Shavit, A J Kahn, L E Pegg

The Journal of Clinical Investigation

|May 1, 1984

Summary

Glucocorticoids (GC) enhance macrophage attachment to bone, stimulating bone resorption. This effect involves changes in cell surface sugars and can be blocked by progesterone.

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Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Cell Biology
Bone Biology

Background:

Glucocorticoids (GC) are suspected to stimulate bone resorption in vivo.
Previous studies showed GC increase resorptive cell activity in vitro.
Osteoclasts and macrophages are key resorptive cells.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanism by which GC stimulate bone resorption.
To determine if GC affect cell attachment to bone surfaces.
To elucidate the role of cell surface oligosaccharides in GC-mediated effects.

Main Methods:

Assessed macrophage (MO) attachment to bone and other surfaces after GC treatment.
Utilized glycosylation inhibitors (tunicamycin, swainsonine) and a GC antagonist (progesterone).
Employed flow cytometry with lectins to analyze cell surface oligosaccharides.

Main Results:

Dexamethasone and cortisol significantly enhanced MO attachment to bone by 80% in a dose-dependent manner.
GC treatment did not alter MO binding to plastic, collagen, or hydroxyapatite.
Glycosylation inhibitors blocked GC-enhanced cell-bone attachment, implicating asparagine-linked oligosaccharides.
Flow cytometry revealed increased exposure of N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine on GC-treated cells.
Progesterone inhibited GC-stimulated MO-bone binding and oligosaccharide changes, suggesting receptor-mediated action.

Conclusions:

Glucocorticoids stimulate macrophage resorptive activity by enhancing initial cell-bone attachment.
This enhancement is mediated by alterations in cell surface glycoproteins, specifically N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine residues.
The findings suggest a receptor-mediated mechanism involving GC-induced changes in cell surface oligosaccharides.