seocalcitol and Osteosarcoma

EB 1089 (1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-22,24-diene-24,26,27-trihomovitamin D3) is a novel, synthetic analog of calcitriol, characterized by two extra double bonds in its side chain. It is less potent than calcitriol in its calcemic action, but is an order of magnitude more potent in its antiproliferative action. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of EB 1089 to induce the well-known biological effects of calcitriol in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells (i.e. by inhibiting cell proliferation and by induction of differentiation). Both calcitriol and EB 1089 significantly decreased cell growth after 2 days in culture. At 5 days, however, Eb 1089 was more potent than the natural hormone in inhibiting the proliferation of MG-63 cells. Potent effects of EB 1089 on cell differentiation were also seen in the stimulation of alkaline phosphatase activity, cellular vitamin D receptor mRNA levels, and medium osteocalcin synthesis. EB 1089 was clearly more effective than calcitriol in stimulating alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin synthesis. In gel shift assays, the binding of vitamin D receptor to the composite AP-1 plus vitamin-D responsive promoter region of the human osteocalcin gene after EB 1089 treatment was stronger and longer-lasting than after calcitriol treatment.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Base Sequence; Calcitriol; Cell Differentiation; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Osteosarcoma; Time Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vitamin D

Although numerous studies have shown potent antiproliferative and differentiation-inducing effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) and its analogs on cells not directly related to bone metabolism, only few reports focussed on the effects of these analogs on bone. We compared the action of several recently developed analogs with that of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on human (MG-63) and rat (ROS 17/2.8) osteoblast-like cells and on in vitro bone resorption. In MG-63 cells the analogs EB1089 and KH1060 were about 166,000 and 14,000 times more potent than 1,25-(OH)2D3 in stimulating type I procollagen and 100 and 6,000 times more potent in stimulating osteocalcin production, respectively. Also in ROS 17/2.8 cells EB1089 and KH1060 were most potent in inducing osteocalcin synthesis. In vitro bone resorption was 2.3 and 17.5 times more potently stimulated by EB1089 and KH1060, respectively. In MG-63 cells, 1,25-(OH)2D3 and the analogs inhibited cell proliferation, whereas both 1,25-(OH)2D3 and the analogs stimulated the growth of ROS 17/2.8 cells. Differences in potency could neither be explained by affinity for the vitamin D receptor nor by a differential involvement of protein kinase C in the action of the analogs. Together, these data show that also in bone the analogs EB1089 and KH1060 are more potent than 1,25-(OH)2D3 but that the potency of the analogs compared to 1,25-(OH)2D3 is dependent on the biological response. On the basis of these observations it can be concluded that the reported reduced calcemic effect in vivo is not the result of a decreased responsiveness of bone to these analogs. Lastly, in view of eventual clinical application of 1,25-(OH)2D3-analogs, the observed stimulation of in vitro bone resorption and growth of an osteosarcoma cell line warrant in vivo studies to further examine these effects.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Binding, Competitive; Bone Resorption; Calcitriol; Cell Division; Cells, Cultured; Cholecalciferol; Enzyme Inhibitors; Glyceryl Ethers; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Osteoblasts; Osteocalcin; Osteosarcoma; Procollagen; Protein Kinase C; Rats; Receptors, Calcitriol; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured