Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells that are committed to adipogenesis were exposed daily to high-frequency low-intensity mechanical vibrations to understand molecular, morphological and ultrastructural adaptations to mechanical signals during adipogenesis. D1-ORL-UVA mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured with either growth or adipogenic medium for 1 week. Low-intensity vibration signals (15 min/day, 90 Hz, 0.1 g) were applied to one group of adipogenic cells, while the other adipogenic group served as a sham control. Cellular viability, lipid accumulation, ultrastructure and morphology were determined with MTT, Oil-Red-O staining, phalloidin staining and atomic force microscopy. Semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed expression profile of the genes responsible for adipogenesis and ultrastructure of cells. Low-intensity vibration signals increased viability of the cells in adipogenic culture that was reduced significantly compared to quiescent controls. Low-intensity vibration signals also normalized the effects of adipogenic condition on cell morphology, including area, perimeter, circularization and actin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, low-intensity vibration signals reduced the expression of some adipogenic markers significantly. Mesenchymal stem cells are sensitive and responsive to mechanical loads, but debilitating conditions such as aging or obesity may steer mesenchymal stem cells toward adipogenesis. Here, daily application of low-intensity vibration signals partially neutralized the effects of adipogenic induction on mesenchymal stem cells, suggesting that these signals may provide an alternative and/or complementary option to reduce fat deposition.

The aim of this study was to develop random and aligned polyacrilonitrile (PAN)/polypyrrole (PPy) nanofibrous scaffolds by electrospinning technique for osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Nanofibers were fabricated successfully as straight, smooth, and free from bead formation. The average diameter of random and aligned nanofibers was 268(±49) nm and 225(±72) nm, respectively. Alignment process increased the tensile strength of nanofibers 3.9-fold, while the tensile strain of nanofibers decreased by 78%. PAN/PPy nanofibers were hydrophilic with the contact angle value of about 32° and alignment did not affect the contact angle value. Random and aligned PAN/PPy nanofibers were investigated as a scaffold material for osteogenic differentiation of D1 ORL UVA mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Cells were able to attach and grow on nanofibers confirmed by cell viability results. Stem cells that were cultured with osteogenic induction were able to mineralize on electrospun nanofibers based on alizarin red and Von Kossa dye staining. For aligned PPy nanofibers, mineralization occurred in the fiber alignment direction. Consequently, PAN/PPy nanofibrous mats in both random and aligned forms would be potential candidates for bone tissue engineering.

Increasing bone mass through mechanical loads is an important biomedical aim, as these loads are natural and omnipresent for biological structures and they are nonpharmaceutical in nature. For this aim to be achieved, however, individuals need to integrate planned physical activity into their daily routine. Unfortunately, that integration may not always be viable as individual compliance becomes an important hindrance (Mayoux

: Persistent and transient mechanical loads can act as biological signals on all levels of an organism. It is therefore not surprising that most cell types can sense and respond to mechanical loads, similar to their interaction with biochemical and electrical signals. Presence or absence of mechanical forces can be an important determinant of form, function and health of many tissue types. Along with naturally occurring mechanical loads, it is possible to manipulate and apply external physical loads on tissues in biomedical sciences, either for prevention or treatment of catabolism related to many factors, including aging, paralysis, sedentary lifestyles and spaceflight. Mechanical loads consist of many components in their applied signal form such as magnitude, frequency, duration and intervals. Even though high magnitude mechanical loads with low frequencies (e.g. running or weight lifting) induce anabolism in musculoskeletal tissues, their applicability as anabolic agents is limited because of the required compliance and physical health of the target population. On the other hand, it is possible to use low magnitude and high frequency (e.g. in a vibratory form) mechanical loads for anabolism as well. Cells, including stem cells of the musculoskeletal tissue, are sensitive to high frequency, low-intensity mechanical signals. This sensitivity can be utilized not only for the targeted treatment of tissues, but also for stem cell expansion, differentiation and biomaterial interaction in tissue engineering applications. In this review, we reported recent advances in the application of low-intensity vibrations on stem and progenitor cell populations. Modulation of cellular behavior with low-intensity vibrations as an alternative or complementary factor to biochemical and scaffold induced signals may represent an increase of capabilities in studies related to tissue engineering.

Mechanical forces are the integral determinants in cell and tissue homeostasis and regeneration, and they can affect numerous biological process from proliferation to fate determination. Mechanical forces that possess low magnitude and high frequency characteristics are also known as low intensity vibrations (LIVs). These signals were studied widely on many cell types for regenerative purposes, however most of these studies select components of LIV signals (e.g., magnitude, frequency, duration, etc.) arbitrarily. Here, we addressed the effect of LIV applied frequency, LIV daily exposure time and fate induction on the viability of preadipocyte 3T3-L1 cells. For this, we performed a frequency sweep that was ranging from 30[Formula: see text]Hz to 120[Formula: see text]Hz with 15[Formula: see text]Hz increments applied for 5, 10 or 20[Formula: see text]min during quiescent growth or adipogenesis for up to 10 days. Results suggest that the applied frequency and fate induction was an important determinant of cell viability while daily exposure time had no effect. These findings contribute to the effort of optimizing a relevant mechanical stimulus that can inhibit adipogenesis.