@Article{mcb.2010.007.165,
AUTHOR = {Guanbin Song, Qing Luo, Baiyao Xu, Yang Ju},
TITLE = {Mechanical Stretch-Induced Changes in Cell Morphology and mRNA Expression of Tendon/Ligament-Associated Genes in Rat Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells},
JOURNAL = {Molecular \& Cellular Biomechanics},
VOLUME = {7},
YEAR = {2010},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {165--174},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/mcb/v7n3/28504},
ISSN = {1556-5300},
ABSTRACT = {It has been demonstrated that mechanical stimulation plays a vital role in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. However, little is known about the effects of mechanical stress on tendon/ligament development from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here, using a custom-made cell-stretching device, we studied the effects of mechanical stretching on the cell morphology and mRNA expression of several key genes modulating tendon/ligament genesis. We demonstrate that bone-marrow-derived rat MSCs (rMSCs), when subjected to cyclic uniaxial stretching, express obvious detectable mRNAs for tenascin C and scleraxis, a unique maker of tendon/ligament formation, and significantly increased levels of type I collagen and type III collagen mRNAs. The stretched cells also orient at approximately~65 with respect to the stretching direction and exhibit a more fibroblast-like morphology. Collectively, these results indicate that mechanical stretching facilitates the directed differentiation of rMSCs into tendon/ligament fibroblasts, which has potential implications for the tissue engineering of bioartificial tendons and ligaments.},
DOI = {10.3970/mcb.2010.007.165}
}