A Study on the Effect of High Glucose on Osteoblasts like Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis

Abstract

Incidences of diabetes (both type I and type II) are increasing worldwide. The increased blood glucose affects the functioning of all tissues. Various complications of diabetes include neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, micro-vascular complications and osteopathy.  It is now becoming clear that high blood glucose have an osmotic effect on bone cells. To know what would be likely effect of glucose on bone cells, MTT assay for cell proliferation, haematoxylin and eosin double staining and Hoechst-propidium iodide double staining for apoptosis was carried out. It is reported that high glucose induces in a concentration dependent manner apoptosis and inhibits proliferation in MG-63 cells, a human osteoblasts like cell line. The harmful effects of glucose were found reduced when these cells were exposed to insulin. Thus our study suggests that glucose may induce osteopenia in diabetes by increasing apoptosis and reducing cell proliferation.