Microcytophotometric analysis of human osteoclast metabolism: lack of activity in certain oxidative pathways indicates inability to sustain biosynthesis during resorption.

ABSTRACT

It has been proposed that highly biosynthetic cells oxidize fatty acids to generate ATP while maintaining high levels of glucose metabolism through the glycolytic and pentose shunt systems to supply biosynthetic intermediates. We investigated the metabolic strategies and substrate for ATP production in the osteoclast. We used in situ quantitative microcytophotometric techniques to determine the maximal activity of the pentose shunt (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; G6PD), the glycolytic pathway (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase; G3PD and LDH), fatty acid oxidation (beta-hydroxyacyl dehydrogenase; HOAD), and the Krebs cycle (succinate dehydrogenase; SDH) in human osteoclasts in situ, and related these enzyme activities to the degree of involvement of the cells in resorption. Unlike other highly biosynthetic cells, such as chondrocytes and macrophage polykaryons, osteoclasts associated with bone resorption were deficient in G3PD, LDH, and G6PD activity. However, osteoclasts did demonstrate a capacity for fatty acid oxidation which increased in cells apposed to the bone surface. The lack of significant glycolytic and pentose shunt activity in the osteoclast provides good evidence that resorbing osteoclasts, unlike phagocytosing macrophage polykaryons, have the metabolic characteristics of cells with greatly reduced capabilities of de novo mRNA synthesis but which do maintain high rates of ATP production. The possibility that the loss of glycolytic activity is a prelude to cell death is discussed.