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Fractal analysis of shape changes in murine osteoblasts cultured under simulated microgravity

  • COSMIC RADIATION: Sino-Italian Cooperation
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Abstract

Morphological changes have been reported to occur in cells exposed to microgravity, even if quantitative (i.e., fractal) analysis has been never performed on cell shape. We investigated cell shape as well as cytoskeleton modifications induced by simulated microgravity on murine osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) growing in vitro by means of fractal analysis. On average, after 48–72 h of exposition to microgravity, osteoblasts display significant changes in shape profile, recovering a more rounded phenotype characterized by larger surface area than controls. More specifically, microgravity enacted the emergence of two distinct morphological phenotypes, one of which characterized by an increase in membrane fractal values, surface area, and roundness. Moreover, osteoblasts exposed to microgravity undergo significant functional changes (inhibited growth proliferation, increased apoptosis, β1-integrin decrease, impaired Akt and Erk phosphorylation) that could likely concur in explaining the observed alteration in bone structure experienced by astronauts.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by ASI (Italian Space Agency), LIGRA Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Medicine, Systems Biology Group, University La Sapienza, via A. Scarpa 14-16, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Fabrizio Testa, Fabrizio D’Anselmi & Mariano Bizzarri

  2. Systems Biology Group, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Palombo

  3. Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Palombo, Simona Dinicola, Fabrizio D’Anselmi, Sara Proietti, Alessia Pasqualato, Maria Grazia Masiello, Pierpaolo Coluccia & Alessandra Cucina

  4. Department of Basic and Applied Medical Science, University G. D’Annunzio, Chieti, Pescara, Italy

    Alessia Pasqualato

  5. Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Simona Dinicola, Sara Proietti & Maria Grazia Masiello

Authors
  1. Fabrizio Testa
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  2. Alessandro Palombo
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  3. Simona Dinicola
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  4. Fabrizio D’Anselmi
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  5. Sara Proietti
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  6. Alessia Pasqualato
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  7. Maria Grazia Masiello
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  8. Pierpaolo Coluccia
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  9. Alessandra Cucina
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  10. Mariano Bizzarri
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Correspondence to Mariano Bizzarri.

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Testa, F., Palombo, A., Dinicola, S. et al. Fractal analysis of shape changes in murine osteoblasts cultured under simulated microgravity. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 25 (Suppl 1), 39–47 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-014-0291-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-014-0291-3

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