title: Chemotactic responses of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells toward zinc chloride.
abstract: Although zinc (Zn) is known to participate in bone formation, its exact role in the remodeling of this tissue has not been fully clarified. The present study was designed to investigate whether Zn has a role at the resorptive sites in vitro. We investigated the migration of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells in response to Zn using a Boyden chamber assay. Exposure of MC3T3-E1 cells to Zn stimulated the migration of MC3T3-E1 cells. Checkerboard analysis revealed that the migration of MC3T3-E1 cells toward Zn was a directional (chemotaxis) rather than a random (chemokinesis) motion. Pretreatment of MC3T3-E1 cells with pertussis toxin completely blocked the chemotactic response of cells to Zn, indicating that it is mediated by G-protein-coupled receptors. Because the bone is one of the major Zn storage sites, we suggest that Zn released from bone-resorptive sites plays an important role in the recruitment of osteoblasts and bone renewal.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Environmental Risk, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Anuradha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirano
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000077214:Becaplermin; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000494:pharmacology; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D000077214:Becaplermin; C016837:zinc chloride; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D002118:Calcium