Tumor necrosis factor-α antagonist diminishes osteocytic RANKL and sclerostin expression in diabetes rats with periodontitis

PLoS One. 2017 Dec 14;12(12):e0189702. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189702. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes with periodontitis shows elevated TNF-α expression. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulates the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and sclerostin. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of TNF-α expression of osteocytic RANKL and sclerostin in type 1 diabetes rats with periodontitis using infliximab (IFX), a TNF-α antagonist. Rats were divided into two timepoint groups: day 3 and day 20. Each timepoint group was then divided into four subgroups: 1) control (C, n = 6 for each time point); 2) periodontitis (P, n = 6 for each time point); 3) diabetes with periodontitis (DP, n = 8 for each time point); and 4) diabetes with periodontitis treated with IFX (DP+IFX, n = 8 for each time point). To induce type 1 diabetes, rats were injected with streptozotocin (50 mg/kg dissolved in 0.1 M citrate buffer). Periodontitis was then induced by ligature of the mandibular first molars at day 7 after STZ injection (day 0). IFX was administered once for the 3 day group (on day 0) and twice for the 20 day group (on days 7 and 14). The DP group showed greater alveolar bone loss than the P group on day 20 (P = 0.020). On day 3, higher osteoclast formation and RANKL-positive osteocytes in P group (P = 0.000 and P = 0.011, respectively) and DP group (P = 0.006 and P = 0.017, respectively) than those in C group were observed. However, there was no significant difference in osteoclast formation or RANKL-positive osteocytes between P and DP groups. The DP+IFX group exhibited lower alveolar bone loss (P = 0.041), osteoclast formation (P = 0.019), and RANKL-positive osteocytes (P = 0.009) than that of the DP group. On day 20, DP group showed a lower osteoid area (P = 0.001) and more sclerostin-positive osteocytes (P = 0.000) than P group. On days 3 and 20, the DP+IFX group showed more osteoid area (P = 0.048 and 0.040, respectively) but lower sclerostin-positive osteocytes (both P = 0.000) than DP group. Taken together, these results suggest that TNF-α antagonist can diminish osteocytic RANKL/sclerostin expression and osteoclast formation, eventually recovering osteoid formation. Therefore, TNF-α might mediate alveolar bone loss via inducing expression of osteocytic RANKL and sclerostin in type 1 diabetes rats with periodontitis.

MeSH terms

  • Alveolar Bone Loss
  • Animals
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / metabolism*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism*
  • Genetic Markers
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Infliximab / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Osteocytes / drug effects*
  • Osteocytes / metabolism
  • Periodontitis / complications
  • Periodontitis / metabolism*
  • RANK Ligand / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
  • Genetic Markers
  • RANK Ligand
  • Sost protein, rat
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Infliximab

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2014R1A6A3A01053590) to JHK and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF-2014R1A2A1A11049412) to YJY. This study was supported by the Yonsei University College of Dentistry Fund (6-2016-0015) to YJY. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.