Fluid shear stress (FSS) is widely explored regarding its influence on osteoblasts. In vitro studies have shown that the cytoskeleton is very important in cellular responses to FSS. However, morphological changes, which would reflect the cytoskeleton changes as well as other cellular responses, were rarely quantitatively studied in the past years. Therefore, FSS-induced morphological changes in...

Resident macrophages are an integral component of many tissues and are important in homeostasis and repair. This study examines the contribution of resident tissue macrophages to bone physiology. Using immunohistochemistry, we showed that a discrete population of resident macrophages, OsteoMacs, was intercalated throughout murine and human osteal tissues. OsteoMacs were distributed among other ...

To restore falling plasma calcium levels, PTH promotes calcium liberation from bone. PTH targets bone-forming cells, osteoblasts, to increase expression of the cytokine receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL), which then stimulates osteoclastic bone resorption. Intriguingly, whereas continuous administration of PTH decreases bone mass, intermittent PTH has an anabolic effect ...

In addition to a biocompatible scaffold and an osteogenic cell population, tissue-engineered bone requires an appropriate vascular bed to overcome the obstacle of nutrient and oxygen transport in the 3D structure. We hypothesized that the addition of endothelial cells (ECs) may improve osteogenesis and prevent necrosis of engineered bone via effective neovascularization. Osteoblasts and ECs wer...

Calvarial bones arise from two embryonic tissues, namely, the neural crest and the mesoderm. In this study we have addressed the important question of whether disparate embryonic tissue origins impart variable osteogenic potential and regenerative capacity to calvarial bones, as well as what the underlying molecular mechanism(s). Thus, by performing in vitro and in vivo studies, we have investi...

Obesity and osteoarthritis (OA) form a vicious circle in which obesity contributes to cartilage destruction in OA, and OA-associated sedentary behaviour promotes weight gain. Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a novel adipokine with catabolic activities in OA joints, contributes to the obesity and OA pathologies and is associated with other OA risk factors. LCN2 is highly induced in osteoblasts in the absence...

BACKGROUND Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been demonstrated to stimulate osteoblast proliferation and participated bone remodeling. Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted phosphoglycoprotein that belongs to the SIBLING family and is present during bone mineralization. However, the effects of HGF on OPN expression in human osteoblasts are large unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we foun...

Insulin growth factor 1 (IGF1) is a major anabolic signal that is essential during skeletal development, cellular adhesion and migration. Recent transcriptomic studies have shown that there is an upregulation in IGF1 expression in calvarial osteoblasts derived from patients with single-suture craniosynostosis (SSC). Upregulation of the IGF1 signaling pathway is known to induce increased express...

OBJECTIVES To examine the expressions of IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23 receptors in four osteoblast models and the effects of IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23 on osteoblasts. METHODS Gene expression levels of receptors, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx-2), were evaluated by RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR. Proliferative responses and cell cycle analysi...

The mechanisms of bone and blood formation have traditionally been viewed as distinct, unrelated processes, but compelling evidence suggests that they are intertwined. Based on observations that hematopoietic precursors reside close to endosteal surfaces, it was hypothesized that osteoblasts play a central role in hematopoiesis, and it has been shown that osteoblasts produce many factors essent...