Pannexins (Panxs), glycoproteins that oligomerize to form hemichannels on the cell membrane, are topologically similar to connexins, but do not form cell-to-cell gap junction channels. There are 3 members of the family, 1–3, with Panx1 being the most abundant. All Panxs are expressed in bone, but their role in bone cell biology is not completely understood. We now report that osteocytic Panx1 deletion (Panx1Δot) alters bone mass and strength in female mice. Bone mineral density after reaching skeletal maturity is higher in female Panx1Δot mice than in control Panx1fl/fl mice. Further, osteocytic Panx1 deletion partially prevented aging effects on cortical bone structure and mechanical properties. Young 4-month-old female Panx1Δot mice exhibited increased lean body mass, even though pannexin levels in skeletal muscle were not affected; whereas no difference in lean body mass was detected in male mice. Furthermore, female Panx1-deficient mice exhibited increased muscle mass without changes in strength, whereas Panx1Δot males showed unchanged muscle mass and decreased in vivo maximum plantarflexion torque, indicating reduced muscle strength. Our results suggest that osteocytic Panx1 deletion increases bone mass in young and old female mice and muscle mass in young female mice, but has deleterious effects on muscle strength only in males.

Old age and Cx43 deletion in osteocytes are associated with increased osteocyte apoptosis and osteoclastogenesis. We previously demonstrated that apoptotic osteocytes release elevated concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokine, high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and apoptotic osteocyte conditioned media (CM) promotes osteoclast differentiation. Further, prevention of osteocyte apoptosis blocks osteoclast differentiation and attenuates the extracellular release of HMGB1 and RANKL. Moreover, sequestration of HMGB1, in turn, reduces RANKL production/release by MLO‐Y4 osteocytic cells silenced for Cx43 (Cx43def), highlighting the possibility that HMGB1 promotes apoptotic osteocyte‐induced osteoclastogenesis. However, the role of HMGB1 signaling in osteocytes has not been well studied. Further, the mechanisms underlying its release and the receptor(s) responsible for its actions is not clear. We now report that a neutralizing HMGB1 antibody reduces osteoclast formation in RANKL/M‐CSF treated bone marrow cells. In bone marrow macrophages (BMMs), toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) inhibition with LPS‐RS, but not receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) inhibition with Azeliragon attenuated osteoclast differentiation. Further, inhibition of RAGE but not of TLR4 in osteoclast precursors reduced osteoclast number, suggesting that HGMB1 produced by osteoclasts directly affects differentiation by activating TLR4 in BMMs and RAGE in preosteoclasts. Our findings also suggest that increased osteoclastogenesis induced by apoptotic osteocytes CM is not mediated through HMGB1/RAGE activation and that direct HMGB1 actions in osteocytes stimulate pro‐osteoclastogenic signal release from Cx43def osteocytes. Based on these findings, we propose that HMGB1 exerts dual effects on osteoclasts, directly by inducing differentiation through TLR4 and RAGE activation and indirectly by increasing pro‐osteoclastogenic cytokine secretion from osteocytes.