Tetracyclines inhibit parathyroid hormone-induced bone resorption in organ culture

Summary Several tetracyclines (minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline), in levels approximating physiologic concentrations, were found to inhibit parathyroid hormone-induced bone resorption in organ culture; the specificity of this effect was demonstrated by comparison with other (non-tetracycline) types of antibiotics. The ability of tetracyclines to inhibit bone resorption is consistent with the recent proposal by Golub et al². that these antibiotics can inhibit mammalian collagenolytic enzymes by a mechanism unrelated to the drug's antibacterial efficacy, a property which could be therapeutically useful in diseases characterized by excessive collagen breakdown.