Research article

The effect of Lipoxin A₄ on the interaction between macrophage and osteoblast: possible role in the treatment of aseptic loosening

Gang Li¹ , Ping Wu^2,3 , Yao Xu⁴ , Yan Yu⁴ , Li Sun⁴ , Liang Zhu⁴ and Duyun Ye³

¹  Department of surgery, Liyuan Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430077, PR China

²  Health Sciences Center and VA Medical Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84132, USA

³  Department of Pathophysiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China

⁴  Seven year system of clinical medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, PR China

author email corresponding author email

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2009, 10:57doi:10.1186/1471-2474-10-57

Published:	2 June 2009

Abstract

Background

Aseptic loosening (AL) is the main problem of total joints replacement (TJR) by the implantation of permanently prosthetic components. In vitro and in vivo studies have clearly demonstrated that wear debris and its byproducts could trigger inflammation in the peri-implant tissue. Lipoxins (LXs) are endogenous eicosanoids synthesized locally from arachidonate acid (AA) at sites of inflammation and mediate pro-resolving activity. A number of studies have demonstrated the effect of LXA₄ to counteract inflammation in different cell and animal models, but till now, no relative report about the role of LXs in progress or prevention of AL.

Methods

Murine RAW264.7 macrophage cell line and MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts (OB) cell line were purchased. Co-cultured model of these two cell lines was established. To explore the effect of exogenous Lipoxin A₄ (LXA₄) on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) induced inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE₂ and GM-CSF were measured by ELISA kits and bone resorption was quantified by measuring calcium release from 5-day-old mice calvaria in vitro. To determine further the endogenous effect of LXA₄, cells were co-cultured and with or without 15-lipoxygease (15-LO) blocking by 15-LO siRNA. Both real-time PCR and western blotting were applied to confirm the inhibitory efficiency of 15-LO by siRNA.

Results

0.1 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml and 1.0 mg/ml PMMA showed a time-dependent manner to trigger production of all the pro-inflammatory cytokines studied. Exogenous 0–100 nM LXA₄ presented an inhibitory effect on both generation of above cytokines and PMMA stimulated calvarial bone resorption with a dose-dependent manner. LXA₄ in supernatant from neither rest macrophages nor macrophages cultured alone exposing to PMMA was detectable. In co-cultured cells challenged by PMMA, LXA₄ was increased significantly, while, this enhance could be partly inhibited by 15-LO siRNA. When LXA₄ generation was blocked with 15-LO siRNA, the PMMA induced pro-inflammatory cytokines were elevated and bone resorption was accelerated.

Conclusion

In the present study, we demonstrated that LXA₄ had a favorable inhibitory effect on PMMA-induced inflammation in a macrophage and OB co-culture system.