Objective: To determine the crosstalk of osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis of alveolar bone in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced periodontitis in mice.
Methods: A representative periodontitis model was established by treating mice with LPS, and osteoblasts and osteoclasts were cultured. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts were cocultured to determine the effects of LPS on the crosstalk of osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to determine the expression of osteoclastogenesis makers underlying the potential mechanisms.
Results: The morphological and pathological changes in alveolar bone were observed in LPSinduced mice and LPS dose-dependently suppressed osteogenesis. The mRNA expression of cathepsin K, as a marker of osteoclasts, was accordingly downregulated in the coculture. The mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin was increased, while that of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) was decreased with an increased concentration of LPS. Moreover, the mRNA expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was upregulated by LPS, whereas TLR4 knockout partially recovered osteoclast differentiation in the upper layer of the coculture.
Conclusion: LPS dose-dependently suppressed osteogenesis but had a bidirectional effect on osteoclastogenesis. The combined effects of LPS on osteogenesis, osteoclastogenesis and their crosstalk via TLR4 account for alveolar bone loss in periodontitis.
Keywords: coculture; lipopolysaccharide; osteoclastogenesis; osteogenesis; periodontitis.