The effect of Staphylococcus aureus on apoptosis of cultured human osteoblasts

Objective: To investigate the effect of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) on cultured human osteoblast apoptosis and the corresponding mode of action.

Methods: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), assessment of DNA laddering, and flow cytometry assays were used to investigate human osteoblast apoptosis following infection with S. aureus.

Results: TEM examination and DNA laddering assessment indicated that S. aureus can induce cultured human osteoblast apoptosis. Flow cytometry assays showed that human osteoblast apoptosis occurs in a dose-dependent manner following infection with S. aureus. In addition, compared with under co-culture conditions, inhibition of invasion by S. aureus resulted in a 64.62% reduction in the percentage of early apoptotic cells (P < 0.01); 7.09% ± 1.21% of human osteoblasts under indirect co-culture with S. aureus at a multiplicity of infection of 250 showed an early apoptotic profile compared with uninfected controls(P < 0.01).

Conclusions: S. aureus induces cultured human osteoblast apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Intracellular S. aureus is mainly responsible for cultured human osteoblast apoptosis following infection; secreted soluble factor(s) of S. aureus playing a minor role in this process.