Interleukin-32 Gamma Stimulates Bone Formation by Increasing miR-29a in Osteoblastic Cells and Prevents the Development of Osteoporosis

Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 12:7:40240. doi: 10.1038/srep40240.

Abstract

Interleukin-32 gamma (IL-32γ) is a recently discovered cytokine that is elevated in inflamed tissues and contributes to pathogenic features of bone in human inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Nevertheless, the role of IL-32γ and its direct involvement in bone metabolism is unclear. We investigated the molecular mechanism of IL-32γ in bone remodeling and the hypothetical correlation between IL-32γ and disease activity in osteoporosis patients. Transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing human IL-32γ showed reduced bone loss with advancing age, increased bone formation, and high osteogenic capacity of osteoblast compared to wild-type (WT) mice through the upregulation of miR-29a, which caused a reduction of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) expression. IL-32γ TG mice were protected against ovariectomy (OVX)induced osteoporosis compared with WT mice. Decreased plasma IL-32γ levels were associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in human patients linked to increased DKK1 levels. These results indicate that IL-32γ plays a protective role for bone loss, providing clinical evidence of a negative correlation between IL-32γ and DKK1 as bone metabolic markers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Density
  • Bone Remodeling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Interleukins / blood
  • Interleukins / metabolism*
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism*
  • Osteogenesis*
  • Osteoporosis / metabolism*
  • Osteoporosis / prevention & control
  • Ovariectomy

Substances

  • Dkk1 protein, mouse
  • IL32 protein, human
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Interleukins
  • MIRN29 microRNA, mouse
  • MicroRNAs