Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission mediates osteogenic dysfunction in inflammation through elevated production of reactive oxygen species

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 7;12(4):e0175262. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175262. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Although previous studies have implicated pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), to be detrimental for osteogenic activity, the related regulatory mechanisms are not yet fully validated. Since mitochondria host several essential metabolic processes and play a pivotal role in cellular functions, whether and how mitochondrial function contributes to inflammation-induced bone destruction needs further exploration. Our findings revealed that TNF-α impaired osteoblast function, including decreased mRNA levels of osteogenic markers, suppressed ALP expression and activity, and compromised cellular viability. Moreover, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress in the TNF-α-treated group enhanced excessive mitochondrial fragmentation and disrupted mitochondrial function. However, treatment with antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) or mitochondrial division inhibitor Mdivi-1 protected the cells from these adverse phenomena. These findings provide new insights into the role of the Drp1-dependent mitochondrial pathway in the osteogenic dysfunction during inflammation, indicating that this pathway may be a target for the development of new therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of inflammation-induced bone destruction.

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Acetylcysteine / administration & dosage
  • Animals
  • Dynamins / physiology*
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / physiopathology*
  • Mice
  • Mitochondrial Dynamics / physiology*
  • Osteogenesis / physiology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / physiology

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Dnm1l protein, mouse
  • Dynamins
  • Acetylcysteine

Grants and funding

This study was sponsored by the Provincial Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province (no. 2014SZ0037), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81400483) and the National Key Research and Development Project(no. 2016YFC1102704). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.