Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors that play a crucial role in the transcriptional control of lipid metabolism. Pharmacological LXR activation is an attractive concept for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Genetic LXR deficiency in mice has been shown to have an effect on bone turnover and structure and LXR activation is known to influence the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells. Therefore, therapeutic pharmacological LXR activation may have relevant effects on bone. Here, using two synthetic LXR ligands, T0901317 and GW3965, we investigated the effect of LXR activation on murine osteoblasts and the influence of long-term LXR activation on bone in vivo in mice. Short term (48 h) in vitro treatment of primary murine osteoblasts with T0901317 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase mRNA and protein. In vivo, a 6-day treatment of C57BL/6J mice with T0901317 led to a 40% reduction of serum osteocalcin concentrations. Long-term (12-week) oral administration of T0901317 or GW3965 influenced the expression of established LXR target genes in liver and intestine, but did not alter trabecular and cortical bone structure or bone turnover as determined by total skeleton radiography, histomorphometric analysis of lumbar vertebral trabecular bone, micro CT analysis of femur cortical bone and biochemical determination of bone formation and resorption markers. We conclude that short-term pharmacological LXR activation has the potential to profoundly influence osteoblast function, but that long-term LXR activation in vivo has no adverse effects on the murine skeleton.
