Identification and characterization of endothelin receptors on rat osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells: down-regulation by 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3.

Endothelins (ETs) (ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3), a family of 21-amino acid peptides, mediate a host of biological responses by binding to specific cell surface receptors termed ETA and ETB. Because a role for ET in bone remodeling has been suggested, the present study was undertaken (a) to characterize ET receptors and their responses in the rat osteosarcoma cell line ROS 17/2.8 and (b) to study their regulation by 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3. Binding studies using 125I-ET-1 (a nonselective agonist) and 125I-IRL-1620 (an ETB receptor-selective agonist) indicated that these cells display high affinity ETA and ETB receptors in the ratio of 3:1. Addition of ET-1 or sarafotoxin 6c to myo-[3H]inositol-labeled cells resulted in an increase in inositol phosphate accumulation as well as in intracellular Ca2+ release, suggesting that these receptors are coupled to phospholipase C. In addition, ET-1 but not sarafotoxin 6c induced a modest increase in the expression of osteocalcin protein that was completely blocked by BQ123 (an ETA receptor-selective antagonist), indicating that activation of ETA receptors plays a role in the induction of osteocalcin. Treatment of ROS osteoblasts with 10 nM 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 for 14 hr resulted in a significant (> 50%) decrease in 125I-ET-1 and 125I-IRL-1620 binding. This decrease in binding was shown to be due to a decrease in the number of ET receptors, with no change in affinity. Although both ETA and ETB receptors were down-regulated in response to 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3, only ETA receptor mRNA levels were significantly decreased, with very little change in ETB mRNA levels. These data indicate that ROS osteoblasts display both ETA and ETB receptors that are functional. Induction of osteocalcin was primarily mediated by ETA receptors, and these receptors were also down-regulated at the mRNA level by 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3.