2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Effects of tribological stimulation on chondrocyte metabolism and development of functional cartilage tissue structure for joint lubrication
| Project/Area Number |
18560137
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Design engineering/Machine functional elements/Tribology
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
SAWAE Yoshinori Kyushu University, Faculty of Engineering, Associate Professor (10284530)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
WATANABE Masao Kyushu University, Faculty of Engineering, Associate Professor (30274484)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Keywords | Tribology / Cell and Tissue / Articular Cartilage / Lubrication / Regenerated Tissue |
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| Research Abstract |
Articular cartilage is one of the unique and interesting soft tissues since it covers articulating surfaces of diarthrodial joints and plays an important role as "bearing" to achieve smooth joint movements. However, the detailed mechanism which governs the establishing process of the sophisticated tribological functions on the cartilage surface has not been clarified yet The purpose of this research project has been to investigate the developing process of functional cartilage tissue structure for the joint lubrication by the metabolic response of chondrocytes to the mechanical loadings experienced during the joint movement.
It is well recognized that chondrocytes embedded in cartilage tissue can sense the mechanical stress and strain applied to the tissue. The chondrocytes subsequently regulate their metabolism through the mechanotransduction pathways and maintain the functional cartilage tissue structure. In this study, we have developed a rolling-sliding friction loading machine whic
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h can experimentally reproduce tribological stimulations, such as compressive strain, shear strain and fluid shear, exerted on the cartilage surface by frictional force during joint articulation. The loading machine was installed in CO_2 incubator and used to apply the tribological stimulation to chondrocytes being cultured three dimensionally within agarose gel Then, the effects of the tribological stimulations on the biosynthesis of extracellular matrix by chondrocytes and development of tissue structure were examined.
Chondrocytes-agarose specimens were first culture under static condition for three days. Then, pure sliding was applied to the specimen surfaces by Pyrex glass rollers during 2 hours, twice a day for 5 days. Results indicated that the amount of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) released to the culture medium was increased by applying the pure sliding. Moreover, significant amount of GAG was accumulated within the uppermost region of the loaded specimens. These results might be indicating that the loading of pure sliding up-regulated the biosynthesis of extracellular matrix within the uppermost region of cultured specimens and might elaborate the proteoglycan-rich layer which had been identified within the surface region of natural articular cartilage and would be playing the important role in the joint lubrication. In addition, characteristics of the material transport within the cultured chondrocytes-agarose specimen was evaluated experimentally to understand the effect of scaffold materials on the nutrient supply to cultured chondrocytes and the diffusion of extracellular matrix molecules within the specimens. The lubrication ability of protein molecules was also examined in the friction test to estimate the boundary lubrication mechanism of natural and re-generated cartilage tissue. Less
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