| Summary: | Excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts causes bone loss-related diseases and reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as second messengers in intercellular signaling pathways during osteoclast differentiation. In this study, we explored the protective effects of fermented oyster extract (FO) against receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation in murine monocyte/macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Our results showed that FO markedly inhibited RANKL-induced activation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and formation of F-actin ring structure. Mechanistically, FO has been shown to down-regulate RANKL-induced expression of osteoclast-specific markers by blocking the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and the transcriptional activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) and c-Fos. Furthermore, FO markedly diminished ROS production by RANKL stimulation, which was associated with blocking the expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 1 (NOX1) and its regulatory subunit Rac-1. However, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting <i>NOX1</i> suppressed RANKL-induced expression of osteoclast-specific markers and production of ROS and attenuated osteoclast differentiation as in the FO treatment group. Collectively, our findings suggest that FO has anti-osteoclastogenic potential by inactivating the NF-κB-mediated NFATc1 and c-Fos signaling pathways and inhibiting ROS generation, followed by suppression of osteoclast-specific genes. Although further studies are needed to demonstrate efficacy in in vivo animal models, FO may be used as an effective alternative agent for the prevention and treatment of osteoclastogenic bone diseases.
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