Gap junction intercellular communications in tenocyte inflammatory responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25702022
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Eijiro 北海道大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (20581614)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 腱 / 炎症 / ギャップ結合 / 温度 / 拡散係数 / 物質輸送

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study was performed to investigate tenocyte responses to severe mechanical and thermal stimuli and the contributions of gap junction intercellular communications (GJIC) to these responses. When tenocytes were subjected to heat stimulus at 43 °C for 30 minutes, there were significant increases in the expressions of genes related to inflammatory responses. In addition, these responses were further upregulated by the chemical inhibition of GJIC. Accordingly, the presence of GJIC may have an anti-inflammatory effect on tenocyte functions. In the case of the application of static tensile strain to tenocytes, there was an amplitude-dependent regulation of GJIC. The level of GJIC, evaluated as diffusion coefficient, was stably enhanced when tenocytes were subjected to physiological 4% static strain, whereas it became unstable when subjected to non-physiological 8% static strain.

Free Research Field

バイオメカニクス，メカノバイオロジー，機械工学