Proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and adipocytes in rat bone marrow stromal cell cultures: Effects of dexamethasone and calcitriol

During bone loss, osteoblast population can be replaced by adipose tissue. This apparent reciprocal relationship between decreased bone density and increased fat formation can be explained by an imbalance in the production of bone‐forming and fat‐forming cells in the marrow cavity. Thus, osteoblast and adipocyte pathways seem more closely and inversely related. In the present study, we investigated the effects of dexamethasone (dex) and calcitriol [1,25(OH)2D3] on proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and adipocytes in rat bone marrow stromal cell cultures. Stromal cells were grown in primoculture in presence of dex and subcultivated in presence of dex and/or 1,25(OH)2D3. Total cell proliferation, osteoblast and adipocyte‐cells number, and ‐mRNA specific markers were used to study the effects of hormonal treatment on stromal cells. Total cell proliferation was stimulated by dex and inhibited by 1,25(OH)2D3. Dex increased osteoblast and adipocyte cell population whereas calcitriol decreased bone‐forming cell number and increased fat cell population. The presence of both hormones led to a strong decrease in osteoblastic cells and to a strong increase in adipocytic cell number. Dex induced mRNA osteoblastic markers expression like bone sialoprotein (BSP) and osteocalcin (OC) and an adipocyte marker expression, the fatty acid binding protein aP2. Calcitriol decreased the dex‐induced BSP expression but stimulated slightly OC and aP2 mRNA. The effects of both hormones was to increase strongly OC and aP2 mRNA. These results support that, in rat bone marrow, adipocyte proliferation and differentiation are stimulated by glucocorticoids and calcitriol which act synergically, whereas osteoblastic cell proliferation and differentiation are increased by dex and inhibited by 1,25(OH)2D3. J. Cell. Biochem. 89: 364–372, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.