Drug repositioning of polaprezinc for bone fracture healing.

Fractures and related complications are a common challenge in the field of skeletal tissue engineering. Vitamin D and calcium are the only broadly available medications for fracture healing, while zinc has been recognized as a nutritional supplement for healthy bones. Here, we aimed to use polaprezinc, an anti-ulcer drug and a chelate form of zinc and L-carnosine, as a supplement for fracture healing. Polaprezinc induced upregulation of osteogenesis-related genes and enhanced the osteogenic potential of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and osteoclast differentiation potential of mouse bone marrow-derived monocytes. In mouse experimental models with bone fractures, oral administration of polaprezinc accelerated fracture healing and maintained a high number of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the fracture areas. Collectively, polaprezinc promotes the fracture healing process efficiently by enhancing the activity of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Therefore, we suggest that drug repositioning of polaprezinc would be helpful for patients with fractures.

Zinc Promotes Osteoblast Differentiation in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Via Activation of the cAMP-PKA-CREB Signaling Pathway.

The crucial trace element zinc stimulates osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo. However, the pathways mediating these effects remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of zinc on osteoblast differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and to identify the molecular mechanisms of these effects. In hBMSCs, zinc exposure resulted in a dose-dependent increase in osteogenesis and increased mRNA and protein levels of the master transcriptional factor RUNX2. Analyzing the upstream signaling pathways of RUNX2, we found that protein kinase A (PKA) signaling inhibition blocked zinc-induced osteogenic effects. Zinc exposure increased transcriptional activity and protein levels of phospho-CREB and enhanced translocation of phospho-CREB into the nucleus. These effects were reversed by H-89, a potent inhibitor of PKA. Moreover, zinc exposure led to dose-dependent increases in levels of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). These findings indicate that zinc activates the PKA signaling pathway by triggering an increase in intracellular cAMP, leading to enhanced osteogenic differentiation in hBMSCs. Our results suggest that zinc exerts osteogenic effects in hBMSCs by activation of RUNX2 via the cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway. Zinc supplementation may offer a promise as a potential pharmaceutical therapy for osteoporosis and other bone loss conditions.

The effects of COX-2 inhibitor during osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors suppress bone repair and bone formation by suppressing angiogenesis as well as potentially interfering with osteoblast and osteoclast functions. In spite of these reports, there is a controversy over the exact effects of COX-2 inhibitors on bone formation processes itself. This work was designed to investigate the effect of COX-2 inhibitor on osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). MSCs in osteogenesis were treated with COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib and naproxen) in the absence or presence of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), which was used to induce inflammation. Following differentiation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and calcium contents of IL-1ß-treated MSC were significantly reduced by high doses of COX-2 inhibitors compared with the low-dose group. However, in non-inflammatory-conditioned MSCs, ALP and calcium contents were not reduced by COX-2 inhibitors. The mRNA expression of Runx2/Cbf alpha 1, Dlx5, and osteocalcin was also decreased by COX-2 inhibitors in inflammatory-conditioned MSCs and showed a significant decrease for the high dose while they remained constant in the non-inflammatory-conditioned MSCs. These data indicate that the osteogenic potential of MSC is inhibited/delayed by the treatment of high-dose NSAIDs under inflammatory conditions.