Metastasin S100A4 is a mediator of sex hormone-dependent formation of the cortical bone

Mol Endocrinol. 2013 Aug;27(8):1311-21. doi: 10.1210/me.2012-1398. Epub 2013 Jun 24.

Abstract

S100A4 is a Ca-binding protein participating in regulation of cell growth, survival, and motility. Here we studied the role of S100A4 protein in sex hormone-regulated bone formation. Bone mineral density in the trabecular and cortical compartments was evaluated in female S100A4 knockout (KO), in matched wild-type (WT) counterparts, and in WT mice treated with lentiviral small hairpin RNA construct inhibiting the S100A4 gene transcription or with a nontargeting construct, by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. The effect of sex hormones on bone was measured 5 weeks after ovariectomy (OVX) and/or dehydroepiadrosterone treatment. S100A4KO had an excessive trabecular and cortical bone formation compared with the age- and sex-matched WT mice. S100A4KO had an increased periosteal circumference (P = .001), cortical thickness (P = .056), and cortical area (P = .003), which predicted 20% higher bone strength in S100A4KO (P = .013). WT mice treated with small hairpin RNA-S100A4 showed an increase of the cortical bone parameters in a fashion identical with S100A4KO mice, indicating the key role of S100A4 in the changed bone formation. S100A4KO mice had higher serum levels of osteocalcin and a higher number of osteocalcin-positive osteoblasts under the periosteum. OVX-S100A4 resulted in the loss of the cortical bone supported by high CTX-I levels, whereas no such changes were observed in OVX-WT mice. S100A4KO mice resisted the dehydroepiadrosterone -induced bone formation observed in the WT counterparts. Our study indicates that S100A4 is a regulator of bone formation, which inhibits bone excess in the estrogen-sufficient mice and prevents the cortical bone loss in the estrogen-deprived mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Density
  • Bone Resorption / genetics
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone / administration & dosage
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone / metabolism
  • Estrogens / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Femur / drug effects
  • Femur / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • Osteocalcin / blood
  • Osteoclasts / metabolism
  • Osteogenesis / drug effects
  • Osteogenesis / physiology*
  • Ovariectomy
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4
  • S100 Proteins / genetics
  • S100 Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Estrogens
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4
  • S100 Proteins
  • S100a4 protein, mouse
  • Osteocalcin
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Medical Society of Göteborg, the Swedish Association Against Rheumatism, the King Gustaf V Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, the Torsten Söderbergs Foundation, the Professor Nanna Swartz Foundation, the AME Wolff Foundation, the Rune and Ulla Amlövs Trust, the Lundberg Foundation, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the pharmacist Hedberg's Foundation, the University of Göteborg, the Family Thölen and Kristlers Foundation, the regional agreement on medical training and clinical research between the Western Götaland County Council and the University of Göteborg.