1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 pretreatment limits prostaglandin biosynthesis by cytokine-stimulated adult human osteoblast-like cells

The steroid derivative 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is a regulator of bone biology, and there is evidence that 1,25(OH)2D3 modulates arachidonic acid metabolism in osteoblastic cell model systems and in bone organ cultures. In the present studies, 1,25(OH)2D3 decreased prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis by normal adult human osteoblast‐like (hOB) cell cultures by about 30%. The decrease was observed under basal incubation conditions, or in specimens stimulated by transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β) or by tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF). The inhibition of the TGF‐β‐stimulated PG production appeared to reflect a diminished efficiency of arachidonic acid conversion into PGs by the cells, while the efficiency of substrate utilization for PG biosynthesis was unaffected by 1,25(OH)2D3 pretreatment in the unstimulated samples, or in samples stimulated with TNF or with TNF plus TGF‐β. Free arachidonic acid levels were decreased following 1,25(OH)2D3 pretreatment in the TNF stimulated samples. hOB cell phospholipase A2 activity was measured in subcellular fractions, and this activity was decreased by 20–25% in the 1,25(OH)2D3 pretreated samples. The addition of the selective inhibitor AACOCF3 to the phospholipase A2 assays provided evidence that it was the cytoplasmic isoform of the enzyme that was affected by the 1,25(OH)2D3 pretreatment of the hOB cells. Thus, 1,25(OH)2D3 regulation of hOB cell biology includes significant effects on arachidonic acid metabolism. In turn, this could influence the effects of other hormones and cytokines whose actions include the stimulated production of bioactive arachidonic acid metabolites. J. Cell. Biochem. 68:237–246, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.