Purmorphamine enhances osteogenic activity of human osteoblasts derived from bone marrow mesenchymal cells

Purmorphamine is a novel small molecule with osteogenesis-inducing activity in multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells, but there has been no evaluation of its effect on human cells to date. The aim of this study was to investigate the induction of osteogenic activity by purmorphamine in human osteoblasts differentiated from bone marrow mesenchymal cells. Cells were cultured in 24-well plates at a density of 2×104/well in medium containing 1, 2 or 3 μM purmorphamine, or vehicle. At 7, 14 and 21 days, cell proliferation, viability, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were evaluated. Bone-like nodule formation was evaluated at 21 days. Purmorphamine did not affect cell proliferation or viability, but increased ALP activity and bone-like nodule formation. These results indicate that events related to osteoblast differentiation, including increased ALP activity and bone-like nodule formation, are enhanced by purmorphamine.