Mechanical stimulation of plants triggers a cytoplasmic Ca(2+) increase that is thought to link the touch stimulus to appropriate growth responses. We found that in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, external and endogenously generated mechanical forces consistently trigger rapid and transient increases in cytosolic Ca(2+) and that the signatures of these Ca(2+) transients are stimulus specific. Me...

The experimental mechanostimulation of biological cell and tissue test samples has become a standard method in biomechanics research. In order to apply a static or a dynamic mechanical load on biological tissue a variety of different devices for the mechanostimulation have been developed. While cyclic load applications are typically restricted to sinusoidal or rectangular stimulation patterns, ...

BACKGROUND Osteoblast- and osteoclast-like cells are responsible for coordinated bone maintenance, illustrated by a balanced formation and resorption. Both parameters appear to be influenced by mechanical constrains acting on each of these cell types individually. We hypothesized that the interactions between both cell types are also influenced by mechanical stimulation. METHODS Co-cultures o...

PURPOSE To identify electrophysiologically the functional types of sensory fibers innervating the iris and the ciliary body of the cat's eye. METHODS The uveal tract tract of cat's eye was excised and placed in a superfusion chamber. Recordings were made from single afferent units of ciliary nerve branches responding to mechanical stimulation of the iridal surface, the ciliary body, and the c...

In an attempt to ascertain the effects of mechanical stimulation on callus in the early stage of bone fracture healing, a tibial fracture was induced in rats and mechanical stimulation applied to the fractures. The callus was then measured quantitatively, while the fractures were analyzed both radiographically and histologically. Following the induction of a closed transverse fracture in the ti...

Signaling by mTOR is a well-recognized component of the pathway through which mechanical signals regulate protein synthesis and muscle mass. However, the mechanisms involved in the mechanical regulation of mTOR signaling have not been defined. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that a mechanically-induced increase in phosphatidic acid (PA) may be involved. There is also evidence which suggest...

transcranial current stimulation (tcs) is a neuromodulation method in which the patient is exposed to a mild electric current (direct or alternating) at 1-2 ma, resulting in an increase or a decrease in the brain excitability. this modi.cation in neural activities can be used as a method for functional human brain mapping with causal inferences. this method might also facilitate the treatments ...

BACKGROUND Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been shown to provide pain relief in painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDPN). As the vasculature system plays a great role in the pathophysiology of PDPN, a potential beneficial side-effect of SCS is peripheral vasodilation, with high frequency (HF) SCS in particular. We hypothesize that HF-SCS (500 Hz), compared with conventional (CON) or low frequen...

Our group has shown that mechanical stimulation increases the stiffness of stem cell-collagen sponge constructs at 14 days in culture and subsequent rabbit patellar tendon repairs at 12 weeks postsurgery. What remains unclear is which genes might be responsible for this increase in stiffness. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine how a tensile stimulus affects the gene express...

1. Fibres from adductor scutorum muscle of a barnacle Tetraclita squamosa were made to contract isometrically by electrical stimulation, and the change in the ability to shorten actively during the mechanical responses was examined by suddenly allowing the fibres to shorten under a very small load (<3 % of the force immediately before shortening) at various times after the onset of stimulation....