ObjectiveTo investigate the molecular mechanism of osteoclast differentiation induced by Staphylococcal peptidoglycan (PGN-sa). MethodsRaw264.7 cells were stimulated with PGN-sa and with PGN-sa+SC75741[a potent inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation] in a concentration of 200 ng/mL. The protein expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) was tested at 0, 1, 2, and 3 days; the proteins related to osteoclast differentiation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), NF-κB, inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB-α), Akt, and the phosphorylation forms of p38, ERK, JNK, Akt, NF-κB were measured at 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 minutes by Western blot. In addition, Raw264.7 cells were stimulated with PGN-sa in the concentrations of 100 ng/mL (group A), 200 ng/mL (group B), 400 ng/mL (group C), and with PBS (group D) for 1, 2, and 3 days; the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1α (IL-1α), and IL-6 were detected by ELISA. ResultsThe results of Western blot showed that the expression of NFATc1 increased gradually with time, showing significant difference between different time points (P<0.05). However, after SC75741 was added, the expression of NFATc1 was inhibited at 2 and 3 days, showing significant difference when compared with no addition of SC75741 (P<0.001). After stimulation of PGN-sa, the expression of IkB-α decreased significantly at 5 and 10 minutes when compared with those at the other time points (P<0.001), and returned to normal at 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the expression of p-NF-κB increased significantly at 5 and 10 minutes when compared with those at the other time points (P<0.001), and returned to normal at 20 minutes; and the expression of p-NF-κB at 5 minutes was significantly higher than that at 10 minutes (P<0.001). After the addition of SC75741, there was no change in the expressions of IκB-α and p-NF-κB, showing no significant difference between different time points P>0.05). Moreover, the expressions of ERK, p38, JNK, NF-κB, Akt, p-p38, p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-Akt showed no significant change between different time points P>0.05). ELISA results showed that there were no expressions of TNF-α and IL-1α in groups A-D at different time points. The expression of IL-6 had an increasing trend with time prolonged in each group, showing significant differences between different time points (P<0.05). Moreover, at 1 day after culture, the expression of IL-6 showed no significant difference among groups P>0.05). At 2 and 3 days after culture, the expression of IL-6 in groups A-C showed an increasing trend and was significantly higher than that in group D, showing significant difference among groups (P<0.05). ConclusionPGN-sa can promote osteoclast differentiation through NF-κB signaling pathway, and IL-6 may play a role in this process.