Bones play an important role in maintaining the level of calcium in blood. They provide support for soft tissues and hematopoiesis and undergo continuous renewal throughout life. In addition, vitamin D is involved in regulating bone and calcium homeostasis. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a
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Bones play an important role in maintaining the level of calcium in blood. They provide support for soft tissues and hematopoiesis and undergo continuous renewal throughout life. In addition, vitamin D is involved in regulating bone and calcium homeostasis. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding protein that can regulate bone cell differentiation and function. Here, we aimed to study the regulatory effects of Gal-3 on vitamin-D-regulated osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in chicken. Gal-3 expression in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from 18-day-old chicken embryos was inhibited or overexpressed. BMSCs were then co-cultured with bone marrow monocytes/macrophages (BMMs) with or without addition of 1α,25(OH)
2D
3. The results showed that 1α,25(OH)
2D
3 upregulated the expression of
Gal-3 mRNA and receptor activator of nuclear-factor κB ligand (
RANKL) expression in BMSCs and promoted osteoclastogenesis, as shown by the upregulated expression of osteoclast (OC) markers (
CtsK,
CAII,
MMP-9, and
TRAP) and increased bone resorption, a method for measuring the bone resorption area in vitro. Knockdown of
Gal-3 by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) in BMSCs downregulated the expression of
RANKL mRNA and attenuated the effects of 1α,25(OH)
2D
3 on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. Conversely, overexpression of
Gal-3 in BMSCs enhanced the effects of osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption by increasing the expression of
RANKL mRNA. These results demonstrated that Gal-3 mediates the differentiation and bone resorption of osteoclasts regulated by 1α,25(OH)
2D
3.
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