Pages 251-252
Osteoblastic activities on the bone envelop such as trabecular surface are influenced by local mechanical environment at microstructural level. In vivo and in vitro experiments have been conducted to clarify the influence of mechanical stimuli on the cellular activities under various mechanical environments. In this study, intracellular Ca^<2+> concentration and intercellular Ca^<2+> wave propagation were observed as a cellular response to applied deformation to a single cell with micropipette. Characteristic features of the Ca^<2+> signaling in the osteoblasts under mechanical stimuli, speed and distance of the Ca^<2+> propagating wave, was quantitatively determined. Directional dependency of the response to the mechanical stimulus was examined by applying a slide of the micropipette tip to the cell, which revealed that each osteoblast has sensitive direction to sense the mechanical stimuli.
