Damaged Mesenchymal Cells Dampen the Inflammatory Response of Macrophages and the Formation of Osteoclasts

Damage to mesenchymal cells occurs by dental implant drills as a consequence of shear forces and heat generation. However, how the damaged mesenchymal cells can affect the polarization of macrophages and their differentiation into osteoclastogenesis is not fully understood. To simulate cell damage, we exposed suspended ST2 murine bone marrow stromal cells to freeze/thawing or sonication cycles, followed by centrifugation. We then evaluated the lysates for their capacity to modulate lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage polarization and RANKL-MCSF-TGF-beta-induced osteoclastogenesis. We report that lysates of ST2, particularly when sonicated, greatly diminished the expression of inflammatory IL6 and COX2 as well as moderately increased arginase 1 in primary macrophages. That was confirmed by lysates obtained from the osteocytic cell line IDG-SW3. Moreover, the ST2 lysate lowered the phosphorylation of p65 and p38 as well as the nuclear translocation of p65. We further show herein that lysates of damaged ST2 reduced the formation of osteoclast-like cells characterized by their multinuclearity and the expression of tartrate-resistant phosphatase and cathepsin K. Taken together, our data suggest that thermal and mechanical damage of mesenchymal cells causes the release of as-yet-to-be-defined molecules that dampen an inflammatory response and the formation of osteoclasts in vitro.