The effect of vitamin D insufficiency significantly impairing the establishment of Ti6Al4V implant osseointegration in vivo was unexpectedly profound. The outcome of Ti-based endosseous implants may be confounded by the increasing prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in our patient population.

Drug-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a detrimental intraoral lesion that often occurs after dental-related interventions in patients undergoing treatment with bisphosphonates or denosumab, the neutralizing human anti-receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) antibody (Ab). The cause of ONJ by these drugs has been speculated to their direct effects on osteoclasts. However, the extent to which osteoclasts contribute to ONJ pathogenesis remains controversial. Herein, by using a tooth-extraction mouse model with i.v. administration of mouse anti-RANKL Ab or the bisphosphonate zoledronate (ZOL), we show that unresorbed bone due to impaired formation or suppressed functions of osteoclasts, respectively, is associated with ONJ development. After tooth extraction, ONJ-like lesions developed 50% in the anti-RANKL Ab-treated mice and 30% in the ZOL-treated mice. Nonviable and unresorbed bone was found more in anti-RANKL Ab-treated mice compared with mice receiving ZOL. All mice receiving anti-RANKL Ab had an undetectable tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) level in the serum and no TRAP-positive osteoclasts at the extracted sockets, whereas ZOL-treated mice had a decreased TRAP level without altering the numbers of TRAP-positive osteoclasts. Interestingly, the absence of newly formed woven bone in the extracted sockets was evident in ONJ-like lesions from both anti-RANKL Ab- and ZOL-treated mice. Our study suggests that the lack of osteoclasts' bone-resorptive functions by these drugs and suppression of woven bone formation after dental trauma may be associated with ONJ development.

The aim of this study is to establish osteoclasts as key immune effectors capable of activating the function of Natural Killer (NK) cells, and expanding their numbers, and to determine in vivo and in vitro effect of bisphosphonates (BPs) during NK cell interaction with osteoclasts and on systemic and local immune function. The profiles of 27 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors released from osteoclasts were found to be different from dendritic cells and M1 macrophages but resembling to untreated monocytes and M2 macrophages. Nitrogen-containing BPs Zoledronate (ZOL) and Alendronate (ALN), but not non-nitrogen-containing BPs Etidronate (ETI), triggered increased release of pro-inflammatory mediators from osteoclasts while all three BPs decreased pit formation by osteoclasts. ZOL and ALN mediated significant release of IL-6, TNF-` and IL-1β, whereas they inhibited IL-10 secretion by osteoclasts. Treatment of osteoclasts with ZOL inhibited NK cell mediated cytotoxicity whereas it induced significant secretion of cytokines and chemokines. NK cells lysed osteoclasts much more than their precursor cells monocytes, and this correlated with the decreased expression of MHC class I expression on osteoclasts. Intravenous injection of ZOL in mice induced pro-inflammatory microenvironment in bone marrow and demonstrated significant immune activation. By contrast, tooth extraction wound of gingival tissues exhibited profound immune suppressive microenvironment associated with dysregulated wound healing due to the effect of ZOL which could potentially be responsible for the pathogenesis of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ). Finally, based on the data obtained in this paper we demonstrate that osteoclasts can be used as targets for the expansion of NK cells with superior function for immunotherapy of cancer.

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Bisphosphonates (BPs) are chemically stable analogs of pyrophosphate exhibiting strong affinity to bone and have been used for the treatment of diseases characterized by excessive bone resorption. Contrary to the widely accepted BP accumulation model in bone after repeated applications, we report here that an equilibrium-dependent BP-crystalline bone mineral interaction may better explain BP bio-distribution and anti-catabolic bone remodeling and may be relevant to the appearance of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in rats. Fluorescent-labeled BP analogs were synthesized and used to evaluate the mode of bone adsorption. After fluorescent-labeled BP adsorbed on crystalline calcium phosphates in vitro, subsequent BP application replaced the previously absorbed BP depending on the dose and the relative binding affinity to hydroxyapatite. The in vivo intravenous zoledronate (ZOL) injection of repeated fractional doses resulted in lower serum CTX and TRAP5b measurements than a single bolus injection in spite of the equivalent cumulative dose. Repeated injections resulted in the distribution of fluorescent-labeled BP on the large area of bone surfaces; whereas the single bolus injection gave rise to the intense BP bio-distribution at selected bone sites such as the alveolar process of jawbones. Necrotic maxillary alveolar bone was predominantly observed in vitamin D deficiency rats treated with bolus ZOL injection. The palatal necrotic bone was characteristically sequestrated by the fistulation of hyperplastic oral epithelium, suggesting the initial development of ONJ-like lesions in rats. Our results suggest that equilibrium-dependent BP-bone interaction may, in part, determine the effectiveness and influence side effects of long-term and repeated applications of BPs.

Titanium (Ti) biomaterials have been applied to a wide range of implantable medical devices. When placed in bone marrow, Ti-biomaterials integrate to the surrounding bone tissue by mechanisms that are not fully understood. We have previously identified an unexpected upregulation of circadian clock molecule neuronal PAS domain 2 (Npas2) in successfully integrated implant with a rough surface. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of osseointegration through determining the role of Npas2. Human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) that were cultured on a Ti disc with SLA surface exhibited increased NPAS2 expression compared to BMSC cultured on a machined surface. A mouse model was developed in which miniature Ti implants were surgically placed into femur bone marrow. The implant push-out test and bone-to-implant contact measurements demonstrated the establishment of osseointegration in 3 weeks. By contrast, in Npas2 functional knockout (KO) mice, the implant push-out value measured for SLA surface Ti implant was significantly decreased. Npas2 KO mice demonstrated normal femur bone structure surrounding the Ti implant; however, the recovered implants revealed abnormal remnant mineralized tissue, which lacked dense collagen architecture typically found on recovered implants from wild type mice. To explore the mechanisms leading to the induced Npas2 expression, an unbiased chemical genetics analysis was conducted using mouse BMSC carrying an Npas2-reporter gene for high throughput screening of Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds. Npas2 modulating compounds were found clustered in regulatory networks of the α2-adrenergic receptor and its downstream cAMP/CREB signaling pathway. Mouse primary BMSC exposed to SLA Ti disc significantly increased the expression of α2-adrenergic receptors, but the expression of β2-adrenergic receptor was unaffected. Our data provides the first evidence that peripheral clock gene component Npas2 plays a role in facilitating the enhanced osseointegration through neuroskeletal regulatory pathways induced by BMSC in contact with rough surface Ti implant.

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