Antiproliferative effect of the C-terminal fragments of parathyroid hormone-related protein,PTHrP-(107–111) and (107–139), on osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells

The C-terminal region of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) containing the sequence (107–111) appears to be a potent inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of human (h)PTHrP (107–139) and hPTHrP (107–111)NH₂ on the proliferation of osteoblastic rat osteosarcoma UMR 106 cells. We found that both C-terminal PTHrP peptides, like hPTHrP (1–141), were antimitogenic for these cells, between 1 pM and 10 nM. [Tyr³⁴]hPTHrP (1–34)NH₂ was as potent as these peptides but less effective as growth inhibitor in these cells. UMR 106 cells were found to produce and secrete immunoreactive PTHrP. Addition of anti-PTHrP neutralizing antibodies to C- and N-terminal epitopes of PTHrP increased the growth of these cells. Our data suggest that the antiproliferative effect of these C-terminal PTHrP analogs may be independent of cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate (cAMP) and mediated by protein kinase C. These findings support an autocrine role of PTHrP in bone metabolism. J. Cell. Physiol. 170:209–215, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.