CCL11 and Effects on Pre-osteoclast Migration

Abstract: ABSTRACT  Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease due to dental bacteria, and the disease is highly prevalent worldwide. Both environmental factors and genetic variation are confounding factors. Characteristic for disease development is degradation of gingival tissue and resorption of the alveolar bone due to inflammation. The cells that are capable to resorb bone is named osteoclasts and those are recruited and activated by numerous cytokines. Cytokines are small signal proteins responsible for cell communication and cell recruitment. Cytokines with chemotactic capacity are called chemokines. Patients with periodontitis have increased levels of chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and chemokine ligand 11 (CCL11) in serum. The aim of this study is to investigate whether CCL11 increases pre-osteoclast migration. Bone marrow was isolated from mouse long bones to achieve pre-osteoclasts for migration experiments. A migration plate, with membrane pore size 8-μm was used for the experiments. The cells were added on top of the membrane with the medium underneath. The cells were incubated at 37 °C, 5 % CO2 and the incubation time 5 hours. Migrated cells were fixed and stained for the osteoclast specific enzyme tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Migrated cells were counted using a light microscope. The result showed that CCL11 had a statistical significant chemotactic effect on pre-osteoclasts and increase cell migration. By identification of chemokines, it might be possible to test chemokine antibodies to stop bone resorption in inflammatory bone destructive diseases as periodontitis.