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Involvement of Wnt activation in the micromechanical vibration-enhanced osteogenic response of osteoblasts

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Background

Low-magnitude vibration has been widely used as a tool for rehabilitation, enhancing physical performance, and stimulating bone development. Although mechanical stimulation generated by vibrations is regarded as important factor in bone remodeling, the underlying cellular and molecular regulatory mechanisms of this response, which may be important in the development of new mechanobiological strategies, currently remain unclear.

Methods

In this study, to investigate the mechanobiological mechanisms of vibration-enhanced osteogenic responses in osteoblasts, MC3T3-E1 cells were subjected to vibrations of different amplitude (0.06, 0.14, 0.32, 0.49, 0.66, and 0.8 × g) at 40 Hz for 30 min/day over 3 days. The osteogenesis-related transcription factors Wnt10B, Sclerostin, OPG, and RANKL were analyzed for mRNA and protein expression.

Results

The results revealed that protein expression of Wnt10B and OPG was increased in a magnitude-dependent manner by mechanical vibrations at amplitudes of 0.06, 0.14, 0.32, and 0.49 × g; the maximum increases were 2.4-fold (p < 0.001) and 7.9-fold (p < 0.001), respectively, at 0.49 × g. Sclerostin and RANKL levels were reduced at all amplitudes. On the basis of mRNA levels, the reduced expression of RANKL was further downregulated (p < 0.05) whereas OPG expression was further increased (p < 0.01) when the MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with LiCl compared with the effects of vibration alone.

Conclusions

The findings may indicate that Wnt signaling is involved in mechanotransduction at low-magnitude vibration; this may provide a cellular basis, and impetus for further development of, biomechanically based intervention for enhancing bone strength and accelerating implant osseointegration.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 30772449).

Conflict of interest

The authors have no financial or personal relationships with other persons or organizations which may lead to a conflict of interest in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Wei Hou, Zhuo Li Zhu, Yi Zhou, Chun Xiang Zhang & Hai Yang Yu

  2. Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China

    Hai Yang Yu

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  1. Wei Wei Hou
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  2. Zhuo Li Zhu
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  3. Yi Zhou
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Correspondence to Hai Yang Yu.

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Hou, W.W., Zhu, Z.L., Zhou, Y. et al. Involvement of Wnt activation in the micromechanical vibration-enhanced osteogenic response of osteoblasts. J Orthop Sci 16, 598–605 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-011-0124-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-011-0124-5

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