Osteocytes act as mechanosensors in bone, which can send mechanical signals directly to osteoblasts through gap junctions. However, under physiological conditions the number of gap junctions is limited because of the ...Osteocytes act as mechanosensors in bone, which can send mechanical signals directly to osteoblasts through gap junctions. However, under physiological conditions the number of gap junctions is limited because of the quantity variance of the two kinds of cells. In this study, the possibility of indirect interaction between these two cells was investigated. A new flow champer was designed in which osteocytes and osteoblasts were cocultured in two champers separately. 0steocytes were exposed to fluid flow and then the ALP activity, osteocalcin and osteopotin of osteoblasts were determined. The results showed that either ALP activity or production of osteocalcin and osteopotin in osteoblasts that were cocuhured with sheared osteocytes increased, which indicated that osteocytes could regulate osteoblasts indirectly through some soluble factors.展开更多
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China grant number: 10872024
文摘Osteocytes act as mechanosensors in bone, which can send mechanical signals directly to osteoblasts through gap junctions. However, under physiological conditions the number of gap junctions is limited because of the quantity variance of the two kinds of cells. In this study, the possibility of indirect interaction between these two cells was investigated. A new flow champer was designed in which osteocytes and osteoblasts were cocultured in two champers separately. 0steocytes were exposed to fluid flow and then the ALP activity, osteocalcin and osteopotin of osteoblasts were determined. The results showed that either ALP activity or production of osteocalcin and osteopotin in osteoblasts that were cocuhured with sheared osteocytes increased, which indicated that osteocytes could regulate osteoblasts indirectly through some soluble factors.
