Prostaglandin F2α negatively regulates bone resorption in murine osteoclast development

Prostaglandin (PG) E2 promotes osteoclastic cell differentiation, but the physiological function of PGF2α remains unclear. We examined the physiological effects of PGF2α on osteoclast differentiation using a murine cell line, RAW264, and the column-purified murine bone marrow cells, both of which are differentiable into osteoclast-like multi-nuclear cells. Although PGF2α did not affect the number of differentiated osteoclasts, PGF2α reduced the bone resorption activity of osteoclasts developed from both cell types in a pit formation assay. Thus, PGF2α inhibits bone resorption without affecting the number of osteoclasts, providing a novel molecular mechanism underlying bone metabolism.