Osteoclast growth factor activity in medium conditioned by fetal rat bones

The presence and biological activity of an Osteoclast Growth Factor (OGF) was investigated in serum-free medium conditioned by periostless fetal rat calvaria in culture. OGF activity was assessed using in vitro systems of fetal rat long bones and adult rat bone marrow cells. Rat calvaria conditioned medium (RCCM) increased the number of osteoclasts in the long bone cultures, partly due to stimulation of progenitor proliferation. RCCM did not exert a direct bone-resorbing activity (45Calcium release assay) on the pre-existing osteoclasts residing in the long bones, but stimulated bone resorption in long term cultures, apparently in an indirect manner by enhancing the number of osteoclasts. In cultures of bone marrow cells isolated from adult rats, RCCM markedly stimulated the formation of mononuclear cells which were positively stained for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). The osteoclastic nature of the cells was confirmed by specific labeling with 125I-calcitonin. Formation of the TRAP-positive cells was significantly inhibited by salmon calcitonin. CM from fetal rat skin cultures did not display a significant OGF activity. Furthermore, unlike the bone marrow cells, peritoneal macrophages did not respond to RCCM and remained devoid of TRAP activity. Neutralization experiments with a specific antibody to GM-CSF indicated that OGF activity in the RCCM could not be ascribed to this hemopoietic growth factor. Secretion of OGF activity was mainly dependent on protein synthesis as addition of cycloheximide to the calvaria cultures significantly inhibited the secretion of OGF into the medium. G3000 HPLC fractionation of RCCM revealed two major OGF peaks with Mr 14,000 and 70,000. Two subsequent reverse-phase HPLC steps using the lower Mr OGF fraction led to a highly purified OGF fraction. The results of this study further provide evidence that bone tissue produces factor(s) which specifically govern the process of osteoclast development, thus providing information about one of the mechanisms controlling bone resorption.