Mechanosensing Behavior of Osteocytes to Deformation of Living Bone Tissue Matrix

摘要

The osteocyte network system embedded in bone matrix is considered as one of the important elements in the mechanosensory mechanisms in the adaptive bone remodeling phenomenon. In this study, we aimed to develop the method to evaluate the strain distribution in osteocytes induced by the deformation of the surrounding bone matrix and to observe the osteocytic biochemical cellular response simultaneously, as the first step to clarify the complex mechanosensory mechanisms in osteocytes. Osteocytes in chick calvarial bone tissue were visualized by immunostaining of cell membrane using osteocytic specific antibody, 0B7.3. The strain distribution in osteocytes and the surrounding bone matrix induced by the local plain deformation to bone matrix using glass microneedles was evaluated using the image-correlation method. The simultaneous in-situ observation of the calcium signaling response of osteocytes induced by the local plain deformation to bone matrix was successful using the fluorescent ratiometry method. The applicability of the method newly developed in this study was also discussed in order to quantify the critical strain value necessary for osteocytes to respond against the mechanical stimulation. In future, the mechanosensory mechanisms of the osteocyte network system can be clarified using this method, and also can be applied to establish the principle to create smart composite materials by modeling, mimicking and installing it.