The expression of osteoprotegerin and the biological characteristics of the osteoblast transfected by human osteoprotegerin gene

Objective To investigate the osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene expression in transfected osteoblasts in vitro and the effects of OPG gene transfer on the biological characteristics of osteoblast. Methods The osteoblast was transfected by pcDNA3. l-hOPG,the OPG mRNA were detected by RTPCR and the OPG protein expression were determined by Western blot after 24h transfection. Osteoblast proliferation,and ALP activity,as well as BGP expression were determined in both groups. Results The OPG mRNA and protein expression were higher in the pcDNA3. 1-hOPG transfected osteoblasts than the non-transfected osteoblasts. The osteoblast proliferation, BGP and ALP contents of the transfected cells increased significantly than the control (P<0. 05). Conclusion The osteoblast transfected by OPG gene could express OPG stably and effectively. The osteoblast transfected by OPG gene keeps a stable biological characteristics,and the OPG gene transfection promotes the bone formation. Key words: Osteoprotegerin; Osteoblast; Transfection