The coffee diterpene kahweol prevents osteoclastogenesis via impairment of NFATc1 expression and blocking of Erk phosphorylation.

Osteoclasts (OCLs) are multinucleated bone resorbing cells whose differentiation is regulated by receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). It is known that inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress stimulate differentiation of OCLs. Here we evaluated the effects of kahweol, a coffee-specific diterpene, which has been reported to possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, on the differentiation of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) or murine monocytic cell line RAW-D cells into OCLs. Kahweol dose-dependently inhibited the formation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining-positive OCLs from both BMMs and RAW-D cells. In addition, kahweol prevented the bone resorbing activity of OCLs. Kahweol completely abolished RANKL-stimulated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and impaired phosphorylation of Akt. Moreover, the protein levels of nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic-1 (NFATc1), a master regulator for OCL differentiation; and OCL markers transcriptionally regulated by NFATc1 such as Src and cathepsin K were down-regulated by kahweol treatment. As one of the molecular mechanisms for the inhibitory effects of kahweol, we also showed that kahweol up-regulated heme oxygenase-1 and inhibited high mobility group box 1 release. Thus, kahweol in coffee is a useful constituent for inhibition of OCL differentiation.