Stretching modulates oxytalan fibers in human periodontal ligament cells.
METHODS
We subjected periodontal ligament fibroblasts to stretching strain to examine the effects on their formation of oxytalan fibers in cell/matrix layers.


RESULTS
Stretching increased the levels of fibrillin-1 and fibrillin-2 by 25% relative to the control, but did not affect the gene expression level of either type of fibrillin. Immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy analysis revealed that bundles of oxytalan fibers became thicker under stretching conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that tension strain functionally regulates microfibril assembly in periodontal ligament fibroblasts and thus may contribute to the homeostasis of oxytalan fibers in periodontal ligaments.
Section of Functional Structure, Department of Morphological Biology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Fukuoka Dental College, 2-15-1 Tamura, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. tsuru@college.fdcnet.ac.jp
E
E
Tsuruga
K
K
Nakashima
H
H
Ishikawa
T
T
Yajima
Y
Y
Sawa
D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005109:Extracellular Matrix; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D000071838:Fibrillin-1; D000071840:Fibrillin-2; D000071837:Fibrillins; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D020894:Microfibrils / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength; D054392:Adipokines
D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D000071838:Fibrillin-1; D000071840:Fibrillin-2; D000071837:Fibrillins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C000605722:FBN1 protein, human; D054392:Adipokines; C000605723:FBN2 protein, human; C437744:oxytalan