Nuclear fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) isoforms inhibit bone marrow stromal cell mineralization through FGF23/FGFR/MAPK in vitro.

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is responsible for phosphate wasting and the phenotypic changes observed in human diseases such as X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). Targeted overexpression of nuclear high-molecular weight fibroblast growth factor 2 isoforms (HMW isoforms) in osteoblasts resulted in a transgenic mouse with phenotypic changes similar to XLH, including increased FGF23, hypophosphatemia, and rickets/osteomalacia. The goal of this study was to assess whether HMW isoforms also reduced mineralized bone formation via phosphate-independent effects in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) by modulating FGF23/FGF receptor (FGFR)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. To determine if decreased bone formation in BMSC cultures from HMW transgenic mice could be rescued by blocking this pathway, an FGF23 neutralizing antibody, the FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5402 and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor PD98059 were used. FGF23 levels in the conditioned medium of HMW BMSC cultures were dramatically increased compared to BMSC from control (Vector) mice. Mineralized nodule formation was significantly decreased in HMW BMSC cultures compared with control cultures. The decreased nodule formation in HMW cultures was partially rescued by the FGF23 neutralizing antibody, SU5402 and PD98059. mRNA levels for the osteoblast-related genes, osteocalcin, Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and osterix, and the osteocyte-related gene dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1 (Dmp1) were significantly decreased in HMW cultures compared with control cultures, and the decreases were partially rescued by SU5402 or PD98059 treatment. Matrix-gla-protein (Mgp) mRNA was significantly higher in HMW cultures compared with control cultures, reduced by SU5402, but further increased by PD98059. Our results suggest that phosphate-independent effects of HMW isoforms in vitro may be directly mediated in part via FGF23 and that HMW isoforms signal via FGF23/FGFR/MAPK to inhibit bone formation in vitro.