Mechanical compression influences intracellular Ca2+ signaling in chondrocytes seeded in agarose constructs.
J Appl Physiol (1985)
; 90(4): 1385-91, 2001 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-11247938
ABSTRACT
Ca2+ signaling forms part of a possible mechanotransduction pathway by which chondrocytes may alter their metabolism in response to mechanical loading. In this study, a well-characterized model system utilizing bovine articular chondrocytes embedded in 4% agarose constructs was used to investigate the effect of physiological mechanical compressive strain applied after 1 and 3 days in culture. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration was measured by use of the ratiometric Ca2+ indicator indo 1-AM and confocal microscopy. A positive Ca2+ response was defined as a percent increase in Ca2+ ratio above a preset threshold. A significantly greater percentage of cells exhibited a positive Ca2+ response in strained constructs compared with unstrained controls at both time points. In strained constructs, treatment with either Ga3+ or EGTA significantly reduced the number of positive Ca2+ responders compared with untreated controls. These results represent an important step in understanding the physiological role of intracellular Ca2+ in chondrocytes under mechanical compression.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Condrócitos
/
Sinalização do Cálcio
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2001
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Reino Unido