Interleukin-17A(IL-17A), a proinflammatory cytokine, may have effects on osteoclastic resorption in inflammation-mediated bone loss, including postmenopausal osteoporosis. IL-17A could alter autophagic activity among other tissues and cells, thereby causing corresponding lesions. The aim of this study was to clarify how IL-17A influenced osteoclastogenesis by regulating autophagy. The present study showed that IL-17A could facilitate osteoclast precursors (OCPs) autophagy and osteoclastogenesis at a low concentration. Furthermore, suppression of autophagy with chloroquine (CQ) or 3-MA could significantly attenuate the enhanced osteoclastogenesis by a low level of IL-17A. It was also found that a low level of IL-17A couldn't up-regulate OCPs autophagy after removal of RANKL(Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor-kappa B Ligand), and JNK(c-Jun N-terminal kinase) inhibitor only inhibited autophagy at a low level of IL-17A. These results suggest that a low concentration of IL-17A is likely to promote autophagic activity via activating RANKL-JNK pathway during osteoclastogenesis. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.