Objective. The mechanisms by which chondrocytes convert biomechanical signals into intracellular biochemical events are not well understood. In this study, we sought to determine the intracellular mechanisms of the magnitude-dependent actions of mechanical signals.Methods. Chondrocytes isolated from rabbit articular cartilage were grown on flexible membranes. Cells were subjected to cyclic tensile strain (CTS) of various magnitudes in the presence or absence of interleukin-1 (IL-1), which was used as a proinflammatory signal for designated time intervals. The regulation of NF-B was measured by reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and immunofluorescence.Results. CTS of low magnitudes (4-8% equibiaxial strain) was a potent inhibitor of IL-1-dependent NF-B nuclear translocation. Cytoplasmic retention of NF-B and reduction of its synthesis led to sustained suppression of proinflammatory gene induction. In contrast, proinflammatory signals generated by CTS of high magnitudes (15-18% equibiaxial strain) mimicked the actions of IL-1 and induced rapid nuclear translocation of NF-B subunits p65 and p50.Conclusion. Magnitude-dependent signals of mechanical strain utilize the NF-B transcription factors as common elements to abrogate or aggravate proinflammatory responses. Furthermore, the intracellular events induced by mechanical overload are similar to those that are initiated by proinflammatory cytokines in arthritis.
Mechanical signals play an integral role in bone homeostasis. These signals are observed at the interface of bone and teeth, where osteoblast-like periodontal ligament (PDL) cells constantly take part in bone formation and resorption in response to applied mechanical forces. Earlier, we reported that signals generated by tensile strain of low magnitude (TENS-L) are antiinflammatory, whereas tensile strain of high magnitude (TENS-H) is proinflammatory and catabolic. In this study, we examined the mechanisms of intracellular actions of the antiinflammatory and proinflammatory signals generated by TENS of various magnitudes. We show that both low and high magnitudes of mechanical strain exploit nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB as a common pathway for transcriptional inhibition/activation of proinflammatory genes and catabolic processes. TENS-L is a potent inhibitor of interleukin (IL)-1 beta-induced I-kappaBbeta degradation and prevents dissociation of NF-kB from cytoplasmic complexes and thus its nuclear translocation. This leads to sustained suppression of IL-1beta-induced NF-kappaB transcriptional regulation of proinflammatory genes. In contrast, TENS-H is a proinflammatory signal that induces I-kappaBbeta degradation, nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB, and transcriptional activation of proinflammatory genes. These findings are the first to describe the largely unknown intracellular mechanism of action of applied tensile forces in osteoblast-like cells and have critical implications in bone remodeling.
Applied mechanical loading induces inflammation in the periodontal ligament (PDL). However, the mechanisms involved in bone deposition at tension sites in an inflammatory environment are not clear. Here, in an in vitro model system, we show that equibiaxial tensile strain of low magnitude (TENS) provokes potent anti-inflammatory signals in PDL cells. TENS inhibits IL-1beta-induced synthesis of IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 by inhibiting their mRNA expression, and thus significantly suppresses the amplification of IL-1beta-induced inflammatory responses in PDL cells. Additionally, as an anti-inflammatory signal, TENS induces IL-10 synthesis in the presence and absence of IL-1beta. These observations are the first to demonstrate that TENS antagonizes IL-1beta actions on PDL cells by (i) inhibiting IL-1beta-induced transcriptional regulation of proinflammatory cytokines, and (ii) inducing synthesis of IL-10, which may post-transcriptionally suppress the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Intracellular signals generated by mechanical strain profoundly affect the metabolic function of osteoblast-like periodontal ligament (PDL) cells, which reside between the tooth and alveolar bone. In response to applied mechanical forces, PDL cells synthesize bone-resorptive cytokines to induce bone resorption at sites exposed to compressive forces and deposit bone at sites exposed to tensile forces in an environment primed for catabolic processes. The intracellular mechanisms that regulate this bone remodeling remain unclear. Here, in an in vitro model system, we show that tensile strain is a critical determinant of PDL-cell metabolic functions. Equibiaxial tensile strain (TENS), when applied at low magnitudes, acts as a potent antagonist of interleukin (IL)-1β actions and suppresses transcriptional regulation of multiple proinflammatory genes. This is evidenced by the fact that TENS at low magnitude: (i) inhibits recombinant human (rh)IL-1β-dependent induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA expression and production of prostaglandin estradiol (PGE 2 ); (ii) inhibits rhIL-1β-dependent induction matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 synthesis by suppressing their mRNA expression; (iii) abrogates rhIL-1β-induced suppression of tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-II (TIMP-II) expression; and (iv) reverses IL-1β-dependent suppression of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase synthesis. Nevertheless, these actions of TENS were observed only in the presence of IL-1β, as TENS alone failed to affect any of the aforementioned responses. The present findings are the first to show that intra-cellular signals generated by low-magnitude mechanical strain interfere with one or more critical step(s) in the signal transduction cascade of rhIL-1β upstream of mRNA expression, while concurrently promoting the expression of osteogenic proteins in PDL cells.
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