Endocrine Abstracts

Trans-differentiation of osteoblasts to adipocytes may in part be responsible for diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis. The processes involved are however complex and largely unknown. Our previous data showed that the adenosine A2b receptor (A2bR) is important for human osteoprogenitor cell function. In this study, we investigated the expression of adenosine receptors in an osteoblast cell line (7F2) and during its differentiation into adipocytes (7F2A).<p class="ab...

Osteoblasts and adipocytes are derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), although the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Our previous findings showed that MSCs express functional adenosine receptors (ARs) and that adenosine stimulates osteoblastogenesis. Here we describe changes in AR expression as MSCs differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes, and provide evidence that ARs are involved in these differentiation pathways.Rat MSCs were dif...

Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, are embedded in mineralised matrix and are critical regulators of bone remodelling. In vitro osteocyte models are currently limited to cell lines in monolayer, but these do not represent their 3D environment in vivo. We have recently shown that osteoblasts in 3D gels differentiate along the osteocytic pathway. Since retinoic acid (RA) has been shown to stimulate monolayer osteoblast/osteocyte differentiation, we have inv...

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are thought to be mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate leading to a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. There is thus a need to develop new methods to study these cells. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen g...

Pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes and are characterised by expression of CD105, CD90 and CD73. CD73 is the enzyme that dephosphorylates AMP to adenosine. The role of adenosine in MSCs is unknown and we have thus investigated whether it plays a role in the differentiation process to osteoblasts.MSCs, obtained from the bone marrow of 10 week old male rats, were expande...

Bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) are able to differentiate along multiple lineages including adipogenic and osteogenic lineages. The adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) modulates adipose tissue function causing an inhibition of lipolysis. We therefore studied A1R expression in BMSCs induced to differentiate along the adipogenic lineage.BMSCs were isolated from rat femur (10 wk male Wistar), cultured in control medium (alphaMEM 10% FCS) and then plated into adipocy...