Fluid shear stress suppresses TNF-α-induced apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells: Involvement of ERK5-AKT-FoxO3a-Bim/FasL signaling pathways.

TNF-α is known to induce osteoblasts apoptosis, whereas mechanical stimulation has been shown to enhance osteoblast survival. In the present study, we found that mechanical stimulation in the form of fluid shear stress (FSS) suppresses TNF-α induced apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family that has been implicated in cell survival. We also demonstrated that FSS imposed by flow chamber in vitro leads to a markedly activation of ERK5, which was shown to be protective against TNF-α-induced apoptosis, whereas the transfection of siRNA against ERK5 (ERK5-siRNA) reversed the FSS-medicated anti-apoptotic effects. An initial FSS-mediated activation of ERK5 that phosphorylates AKT to increase its activity, and a following forkhead box O 3a (FoxO3a) was phosphorylated by activated AKT. Phosphorylated FoxO3a is sequestered in the cytoplasm, and prevents it from translocating to nucleus where it can increase the expression of FasL and Bim. The inhibition of AKT-FoxO3a signalings by a PI3K (PI3-kinase)/AKT inhibitor (LY294002) or the transfection of ERK5-siRNA led to the nuclear translocation of non-phosphorylated FoxO3a, and increased the protein expression of FasL and Bim. In addition, the activation of caspase-3 by TNF-α was significantly inhibited by aforementioned FSS-medicated mechanisms. In brief, the activation of ERK5-AKT-FoxO3a signaling pathways by FSS resulted in a decreased expression of FasL and Bim and an inhibition of caspase-3 activation, which exerts a protective effect that prevents osteoblasts from apoptosis.

Fluid shear stress inhibits TNF-α-induced osteoblast apoptosis via ERK5 signaling pathway.

Fluid shear stress (FSS) is a potent mechanical stimulus and prevents cells from TNF-a-induced apoptosis. Recently, Extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) has been found to be involved in regulation of cell survival. However, little is known about the role of ERK5 signaling pathway in FSS-mediated anti-apoptotic effects in osteoblast. In this study, we show that FSS blocks TNF-a-induced apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells via ERK5 signaling pathway. We found that physiological FSS for 1 h significantly decreased TNF-α-induced MC3T3-E1 cells apoptosis. After inhibition of ERK5 activity by XMD8-92, a highly-selective inhibitor of ERK5 activity, the ability of FSS to inhibit TNF-α induced apoptosis was significantly decreased. Analysis of anti-apoptotic mechanisms indicated that exposure of MC3T3-E1 cells to FSS for 1 h increased phosphorylation of Bad and inhibited caspase-3 activity. After treatment with XMD8-92, phosphorylation of Bad by FSS was significantly blocked, but caspase-3 activity was increased. In summary, these findings indicated that FSS inhibits TNF-α-mediated signaling events in osteoblast by a mechanism dependent on activation of ERK5, and Bad is a crucial downstream target for ERK5. Those results implied that ERK5 signaling pathway play a crucial role in FSS-mediated anti-apoptotic effect in osteoblast. Thus, ERK5 signaling pathway may be a new drug treatment target of osteoporosis and related bone-wasting diseases.

iDental: A Haptic-Based Dental Simulator and Its Preliminary User Evaluation.

Performance evaluation is indispensable for a surgical simulator to become acceptable. A haptics-based dental simulator (iDental) has been developed and preliminary user evaluation on its first-generation prototype has been carried out to gain the knowledge. Based on detailed requirement analysis of Periodontics procedures, a combined evaluation method including qualitative and quantitative analysis was designed. Construct validity was used to compare the performance difference between two groups of participants (faculty members and dental graduate students). These participants were required to perform three periodontal examination and treatment procedures including periodontal pocket probing, calculus detection, and removal. From the evaluation results, we found that penetration between tool and teeth or cheek will greatly decrease the fidelity of the simulation, therefore, it is necessary to utilize 6-DOF haptic device with both force and torque feedback in dental simulator, and accordingly it is needed to extend point-based rendering to 6-DOF haptic rendering of multiregion contacts. Furthermore, several other key research topics that will enable haptic technology to be effective in a practical dental simulator were identified, including simulation of deformable body such as tongue and gingival, and simulation of occlusion of tongue and cheek on teeth, etc.