RANKL Induces Formation of Avian Osteoclasts from Macrophages but Not from Macrophage Polykaryons

We have shown that chick macrophages express RANK at their surface and human RANKL (hRANKL) triggers the formation of osteoclasts able to degrade dentine. As described for mammalian osteoclasts, hRANKL also stimulates the resorbing activity of chick bone-derived osteoclasts. In other hands, in culture, chick macrophages spontaneously form polykaryons sharing most of the osteoclast markers but unable to resorb bone. Since both bone-resorbing osteoclasts and macrophage polykaryons found in inflammatory tissues are multinucleated cells deriving from the fusion of macrophages, we examined whether macrophage polykaryons could be induced toward bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Long-term exposure of macrophage polykaryons to hRANKL failed to activate any resorbing activity, indicating that although deriving from the same precursors macrophage polykaryons and osteoclasts are independent cell types and polykaryons are not immature osteoclasts.