PATHOGENESIS/PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

ALCOHOL-INDUCED ADIPOGENESIS IN BONE MARROW AND 3T3 CELLS

Yisheng Wang; Quanjun Cui; Gary Balian; Gwo-Jaw Wang
Orthopaedic Research Laboratory; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Box 860374,
Charlottesville, VA 22908, Telephone: 804-924-1716, Fax: 804-924-1691, yw4n@Virginia.edu

Abstract:

Ethanol has been implicated as a causative factor in adipogenesis and osteonecrosis. In order to investigate the mechanism of action of alcohol on bone metabolism, we treated mouse bone marrow mesenchymal cells and 3T3 cells, in vitro, with various concentrations of alcohol for up to 21 days in culture. Triglyceride vesicles appeared in the cells that were treated with ethanol but not in the controls. This was confirmed by staining the cells with Sudan IV. The size of the triglyceride vesicles and the number of adipocytes increased with time of treatment, and at higher concentrations of ethanol. In addition, treatment with ethanol diminished the expression of genes that are expressed during differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts. The results suggest that alcohol-induced osteonecrosis may stem from an increase in adipogenesis and the inhibition of bone cell phenotype.