Effect of alcohol on PPARγ and osteocalcin mRNA expression in multipotential stem cell from bone marrow

Aim: To observe the effect of alcohol on PPARγ and osteocalcin mRNA expression in multipotential stem cell from bone marrow named D1 cell. Methods: D1 cells were maintained in culture and treated with 0(control), 0.09, 0.15, and 0.21 mol/L ethanol daily for 14 days. The effect of ethanol on adipogenesis was examined by detecting the accumulation of triglyceride vesicles winthin the cells by phase contrast microscopy and Sudan IV staining. The percentage of adipocytes was calculated by using computer image analysis software. The level of PPARγ and osteocalcin mRNA expression was investigated by RT-PCR. Results: On day 14, there were few adipocytes in the control cells and a large number of adipocytes in the cells treated with ethanol. The percentage of adipocytes in culture increased when the cells were treated with higher concentrations of ethanol, which showed a dose-dependent relation (P 0.001). The expression of osteocalcin mRNA of treatment with 0.09, 0.15, and 0.21 mol/L ethanol decreased by 38%, 43%, and 54%,respectively, compared with control cells (P 0.001). While expression of PPARγ mRNA did not change compared mith control cells ( P 0.05). Conclusion: Alcohol can induce the differentiation of multipotential stem cell from bone marrow (D1) into adipocytes, suggesting that adipogenesis is brought about by the action of ethanol downstream in the fatty acid metabolism pathway, which may be a major factor contributing to alcohol-related osteonecrosis.