Cadmium stimulates prostaglandin E2 production and bone resorption in cultured fetal mouse calvaria.

The effect of cadmium on bone resorption was studied using isolated fetal mouse calvaria. Cadmium stimulated bone resorption and PGE2 production in a dose-dependent manner. The minimal concentration of cadmium which stimulated bone resorption was the same as that stimulated prostaglandin E2 production. The stimulatory effects of cadmium (0.5 microM) on bone resorption and prostaglandin E2 production were completely inhibited by indomethacin. Exogenously added PGE2 (100ng/ml) abolished the inhibitory effect of indomethacin on bone resorption stimulated by cadmium. These results strongly indicate that cadmium stimulates bone resorption via prostaglandin E2 mediated mechanism.