Аннотация:Tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are potent inflammatory cytokines produced by osteoblasts and whose contribution to bone loss occurring in oestrogen deficiency is well documented. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide abundantly concentrated in sensory nerve endings innervating bone metaphyses and periosteum suggesting that it controls bone homeostasis locally. Since CGRP was shown to inhibit TNF-α production by T cells and stimulate IL-6 expression by fibroblasts, this study was designed to investigate whether CGRP regulated TNF-α and IL-6 production by osteoblasts. We show that CGRP inhibits the production of TNF-α by both lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and IL-1-stimulated fetal rat osteoblasts. Like CGRP, the cAMP agonists prostaglandin E2(PGE2), dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP) and forskolin inhibit TNF-α production by osteoblasts. Exposure of osteoblasts to a high dose of phorbol myristoyl acetate (PMA) to deplete PKC activity abolished CGRP-mediated TNF-α suppression. In contrast with its potent inhibition of TNF-α production, we show that CGRP is a weak inducer of IL-6 when compared to PGE2, Bt2cAMP and forskolin. However, in presence of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) CGRP stimulates the production of IL-6. Collectively, these data suggest that the inhibition of TNF-α CGRP is cAMP dependent and PMA sensitive and that the concentration of intracellular cAMP may be a regulatory mechanism for IL-6 expression in osteoblasts.