The Effects of Simultaneous Administration of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor and Interferon-alpha on Osteoporosis

Background: Bone loss is one of the major pathological symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and some types of cancers. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) are widely used in patients with cancer as a drug and o have been known to play a key role in rheumatoid arthritis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of these factors on osteoporosis. Methods: 28 mouse (Mus musculus, male, and eight weeks of age) were divided into 4 groups of 7. They were injected subcutaneously with distilled water as control, 10 mg/kg IFN-α and 200 mg/kg G-CSF with or without 10 mg/kg IFN-α per day, for 28 days. After killing mice, standardized radiographs were taken from femur bones and the Image J program was used for measurement of the femoral bone density. The total femoral bone volume was measured using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Findings: G-CSF reduced the density of the head and greater trochanter of femural bone in mice. The IFN-a alone increased bone density in the greater trochanter and the volume of the trabecular bone. This factor, in combination with G-CSF, strongly enhanced bone density and increased the volume of the trabecular bone. Conclusion: Therefore, administration of IFN-a may inhibit G-CSF-induced bone loss in inflammatory and treatment conditions.