The osteoclast is thought to be derived from immature marrow cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage (1-3). However, the osteoclast has been difficult to study directly because ofits relative inaccessibility. Therefore investigators have used other cells of the monocyte/macrophage series, such as peritoneal macrophages (4), alveolar macrophages (5), HL-60 cells (6), and U937 cells (7), as models for osteoclasts or their precursors. Recently, it has been shown that the most potent biologically active metabolite of vitamin D, la,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, causes fusion of alveolar macrophages (5) and differentiation of mouse leukemic cells and HL-60 and U937 human leukemic cells in culture into macrophages (6)(7)(8). Since the normal osteoclast precursor is believed to be present in the marrow mononuclear cell population, we cultured normal primate marrow mononuclear cells with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. We utilized the long-term culture system of Testa et al. (9), which they and we have used to examine formation of multinucleated cells with biologic and morphologic characteristics of osteoclasts in cultures of normal feline marrow (9, 10). We found that in the presence of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, a subpopulation of primate marrow mononuclear cells formed multinucleated cells with some of the characteristics of osteoclasts.
MATERIALS AND METHODSCollection and Processing of Baboon Marrow Cells. Bone marrow was aspirated from the sternum or posterior iliac crest of adult baboons anesthetized with ketamine (10 mg/kg). Marrow was collected in syringes containing minimal essential medium alpha (a-MEM, GIBCO) supplemented with 5% (vol/vol) fetal bovine serum (Sterile Systems, Logan, UT) and preservative-free heparin (100 units/ml; Sigma). Marrow mononuclear cells were harvested from the interface of Ficoll/Hypaque density gradients (11) that had been centrifuged at 400 x g for 30 min at 12TC. The marrow mononuclear cells were washed twice with medium and then cultured in 24-well plates (Linbro) at 106 cells per ml, in a-MEM with 20o horse serum. In some experiments marrow mononuclear cells were incubated for 1 hr in a-MEM containing 20% fetal calf serum in 35-mm plastic tissue culture dishes, and the nonadherent cells were collected. The nonadherent cells were cultured in a similar fashion as the unfractionated marrow mononuclear cells. All cultures were maintained in a humidified 4% CO2 atmosphere at 370C. In selected experiments, various concentrations of osteotropic hormones were added at the initiation ofthe cultures and with each feeding. Cultures were fed weekly by removing half of the medium and nonadherent cells and replacing it with an equal volume of fresh medium. No attempt was made to recover the nonadherent cells. After culture, cells were fixed with 5% (vol/vol) glutaraldehyde (Sigma) and then stained with Wright stain. Cells were examined with an inverted phase-contrast microscope; those cells containing more than three nuclei were counted as multinucleated.Assay of Acid Phosphatase Activity. Marrow cells w...