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Abstract
Previous studies showed that inflammatory cytokines promote osteoclast formation,
characterized by the function of bone resorption. However, it remains unclear whether
inflammatory factors contribute to osteoporosis syndrome in postmenopausal women.
Here, we found that postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (PO) had increased levels
of TNF-α, compared with those without osteoporosis. TNF-α is highly correlated with
the RANK and estrogen levels in PO patients. in vitro, TNF-α synergistically promotes
RANKL-induced osteoclast formation by activation of NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling.
Moreover, inhibition of PI3K/Akt totally blocked the synergistic effects of TNF-α
on NF-κB activation as well as osteoclast formation. Together, these results demonstrate
that TNF-α synergistically promotes RANKL-induced osteoclasts formation through activation
of PI3K/Akt signaling, which ultimately contributes to osteoporosis syndrome in postmenopausal
women.