Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a common autoimmune disorder, is associated with a chronic inflammatory response and unbalanced bone metabolism within the articular microenvironment. Adiponectin, an adipokine secreted by adipocytes, is involved in multiple functions, including lipid metabolism and pro-inflammatory activity. However, the mechanism of adiponectin performance within arthritic inflammation remains unclear. In this study, we observed the effect of adiponectin on the expression of oncostatin M (OSM), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in human osteoblastic cells. Pretreatment of cells with inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and nuclear factor (NF)-κB reduced the adiponectin-induced OSM expression in osteoblasts. Stimulation of the cells with adiponectin increased phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and p65. Adiponectin treatment of osteoblasts increased OSM-luciferase activity and p65 binding to NF-κB on the OSM promoter. Our results indicate that adiponectin increased OSM expression via the PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB signaling pathways in osteoblastic cells, suggesting that adiponectin is a novel target for arthritis treatment.
Keywords: adiponectin; oncostatin M; osteoblasts; rheumatoid arthritis.