Prostaglandin E₂ binding and cyclic AMP production in isolated bone cells

The binding of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) to bone cells was studied to provide direct evidence for the existence of specific receptors in bone. Bone cells were isolated by collagenase digestion of fetal and newborn rat calvaria. Isolated cells were incubated with³H-PGE₂ and collected on Millipore filters. Specific binding was determined by subtracting the binding that occurred with 10^-6 M non-radioactive PGE₂ and³H-PGE₂ from that with³H-PGE₂ alone. With heterogeneous cell preparations and at PGE₂ concentrations from 10^-9 - 1.7 × 10^-8 M at 37°C, specific binding reached steady state within 10 min. Bound³H-PGE₂ was displaced by the addition of increasing amounts of unlabeled PGE₂. Inhibition of PGE₂ binding was observed with PGE₁ and the endoperoxide analog, U44069, but not with PGE_2α, a lipopolysaccharide, or 13,14-dihydro 15-keto PGE₂. Studies with bone cell populations, obtained by sequential digestions, indicated that an osteoclastic population binds 30-fold more PGE₂ than osteoblastic cells. Scatchard analyses revealed that the osteoclastic cells have an affinity constant for PGE₂ binding similar to that obtained with heterogeneous populations. However, the PGE₂ binding capacity in this osteoclastic population was fivefold greater than in the heterogeneous population. The osteoclastic population responded with an increase in cyclic AMP to lower concentrations of PGE₂ than the osteoblastic populations. These studies suggest that differences in the binding capacity of PGE₂ receptors exist among bone celltypes and that these differences are reflected in the cellular cyclic AMP response.