Initiating mechanism of bone remodeling influenced by the integrity of osteocytic cellular network

本研究的目的是探讨骨重建的机制，同时关注骨细胞网络的完整性。建立了可对培养的骨细胞施加局部机械损伤的体外实验系统和可使小鼠胫骨产生疲劳微裂纹的动物模型。培养底物或骨基质的大变形破坏了骨细胞网络，坏死骨细胞周围衍生出凋亡细胞。这种凋亡细胞的诱导可能是启动骨重建的关键反应，通过这种反应，受损的骨基质可以被局部修复，并发生对位性的骨形成，以补偿骨强度的下降。

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of bone remodeling while focusing on the integrity of osteocyte network. Both an in vitro experimental system that could apply local mechanical damage to the cultured osteocytes and an animal model that could give a fatigue microcrack to a mouse tibia were developed. A large deformation of the culture substrate or bone matrix damaged the osteocyte network, and apoptotic cells were derived around the necrotic osteocytes. This apoptotic cell induction would be a key response for initiating bone remodeling, by which a damaged bone matrix could be repaired locally and appositional bone formation would be occurred to compensate the drop of bone strength.