Prominent bone loss mediated by RANKL and IL-17 produced by CD4+ T cells in TallyHo/JngJ mice

PLoS One. 2011 Mar 25;6(3):e18168. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018168.

Abstract

Increasing evidence that decreased bone density and increased rates of bone fracture are associated with abnormal metabolic states such as hyperglycemia and insulin resistance indicates that diabetes is a risk factor for osteoporosis. In this study, we observed that TallyHo/JngJ (TH) mice, a polygenic model of type II diabetes, spontaneously developed bone deformities with osteoporotic features. Female and male TH mice significantly gained more body weight than control C57BL/6 mice upon aging. Interestingly, bone density was considerably decreased in male TH mice, which displayed hyperglycemia. The osteoblast-specific bone forming markers osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin were decreased in TH mice, whereas osteoclast-driven bone resorption markers such as IL-6 and RANKL were significantly elevated in the bone marrow and blood of TH mice. In addition, RANKL expression was prominently increased in CD4+ T cells of TH mice upon T cell receptor stimulation, which was in accordance with enhanced IL-17 production. IL-17 production in CD4+ T cells was directly promoted by treatment with leptin while IFN-γ production was not. Moreover, blockade of IFN-γ further increased RANKL expression and IL-17 production in TH-CD4+ T cells. In addition, the osteoporotic phenotype of TH mice was improved by treatment with alendronate. These results strongly indicate that increased leptin in TH mice may act in conjunction with IL-6 to preferentially stimulate IL-17 production in CD4+ T cells and induce RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. Accordingly, we propose that TH mice could constitute a beneficial model for osteoporosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alendronate / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Bone Density / drug effects
  • Bone Marrow / drug effects
  • Bone Marrow / metabolism
  • Bone Resorption / blood
  • Bone Resorption / metabolism*
  • Bone Resorption / physiopathology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Interferon-gamma / blood
  • Interleukin-17 / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Leptin / blood
  • Leptin / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Osteoblasts / drug effects
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • Osteoblasts / pathology
  • Osteocalcin / blood
  • Osteogenesis / drug effects
  • RANK Ligand / metabolism*
  • Testosterone / pharmacology

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Il17a protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-6
  • Leptin
  • RANK Ligand
  • Tnfsf11 protein, mouse
  • Osteocalcin
  • Testosterone
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Alendronate