Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on expression of BMP2, SPARC and RUNX2 in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Osteoporosis, characterized by diminished bone mineral density (BMD) and augmented susceptibility to fractures, is tied to a low level of the suprarenal steroid called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). When administrated in hormonal replacement therapy, DHEA improves BMD. Although there are various physical and drug treatments to prevent bone loss, the results have generally been poor. For this reason, cellular therapy based on the application of mesenchymal stem cells has emerged as an attractive alternative. In this study the effect of DHEA on osteogenic gene expression of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). Cell population obtained was characterized as having fibroblastoid morphology and the expression of antigens positive for CD90, CD73, CD13 and CD105. The plasticity of hBM-MSCs was evident and corroborated by adipocytes and osteoblast differentiation. DHEA concentration used in all experiments were 1, 10 and 100 μM during seven days and after the expression of mRNA BMP2, RUNX2 and SPARC (the main involved genes on osteogenic differentiation) was evaluated. Results showed that all DHEA concentration induced high expression on mRNA of BMP2, RUNX2 and SPARC. However, DHEA at 1μM induced a higher accumulation of extracellular Ca⁺⁺ which it0s a characteristic for bone formation. This work confirms that DHEA could be considered an alternative in the treatment of bone diseases.