Xylitol Down-Regulates $1{\alpha},25$-Dihydroxy Vitamin D3-induced Osteoclastogenesis via in Part the Inhibition of RANKL Expression in Osteoblasts

• Published in: International journal of oral biology Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 127 - 134
• Main Authors: Ohk, Seung-Ho, Jeong, Hyunjoo, Kim, Jong-Pill, Yoo, Yun-Jung, Seo, Jeong-Taeg, Shin, Dong-Min, Lee, Syng-Ill
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: RANKL; bone resorption; xylitol; osteoclastogenesis
• ISSN: 1226-7155

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a variety of functions including bactericidal and anticariogenic effects. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the role of xylitol in bone metabolism are not yet clarified. In our present study, we exploited the physiological role of xylitol on osteoclast differentiation in a co-culture system of osteoblastic and RAW 264.7 cells. Xylitol treatment of these co-cultures reduced the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells induced by 10 nM $1{\alpha},25(OH)_2D_3$ in a dose-dependent manner. A cell viability test revealed no marked cellular damage by up to 100 mM of xylitol. Exposure of osteoblastic cells to xylitol decreased RANKL, but not OPG, mRNA expression in the presence of $10^{-8}M$ $1{\alpha},25(OH)_2D_3$ in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, bone resorption activity, assessed on bone slices in the coculture system, was found to be dramatically decreased with increasing xylitol concentrations. RANKL and OPG proteins were assayed by ELISA and the soluble RANKL (sRANKL) concentration was decreased with an increased xylitol concentration. In contrast, OPG was unaltered by any xylitol concentration in this assay. These results indicate that xylitol inhibits $1{\alpha},25(OH)_2D_3$-induced osteoclastogenesis by reducing the sRANKL/OPG expression ratio in osteoblastic cells.