Positive interaction between 17 beta-Estradiol and parathyroid hormone in normal human osteoblasts cultured long term in the presence of dexamethasone.

We previously developed two models of human osteoblasts with distinct differentiation stages using cells derived from iliac crest trabecular bone explants cultured long term in the presence (HOB + DEX) and absence (HOB - DEX) of 10 nM dexamethasone (DEX) (Wong et al., J Bone Miner Res 1990;5:803). Using these models from 36 subjects aged 41-80 years, we examined the effects of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on cell proliferation, osteocalcin (OC) production, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and basal and parathyroid hormone (PTH)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities, as well as the steady-state mRNA levels of ALP, collagen type I(COLL), OC, and receptors for E2 (ER) and PTH (PTHr). E2 alone had no effect on [3H]thymidine uptake in (HOB - DEX) cells but appeared to stimulate the uptake in (HOB + DEX) cells in a dose-dependent manner, with maximum effect at 10(-10)M (p < 0.05). However, in the presence of 10(-6)M PTH, E2 inhibited the uptake in (HOB - DEX) cells (ANOVA, KW = 18.95, p < 0.005) but stimulated the uptake in (HOB + DEX) cells (KW = 13.52, p < 0.025). E2 decreased the amount of osteocalcin in culture media from both (HOB - DEX) and (HOB + DEX) cells (p < 0.05). PTH alone or E2, alone or in combination with 10(-9)M PTH, had no effect on ALP activity in (HOB - DEX) cells. In contrast, in (HOB + DEX) cells, E2 + PTH but not E2 alone, had biphasic effects on ALP activity, with maximum stimulation observed at 10(-11) and 10(-10)M E2, and a return to basal levels at 10(-9)M E2. E2 decreased basal adenylate cyclase activities in a dose-dependent manner in (HOB + DEX) but not (HOB - DEX) cells (KW = 13.48, p < 0.05). In (HOB + DEX) cells, E2 had biphasic effects on PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, with significant stimulation observed at 10(-10)M (p < 0.05). While E2 had no significant effect on osteoblastic marker mRNA levels in (HOB - DEX) cells, it decreased osteocalcin and stimulated PTHr mRNA levels in (HOB + DEX) cells. Thus, in our human osteoblastic cell models, estrogen regulated metabolic function largely in the more differentiated cells, by modifying the effects of PTH.