Hm. Zhuang et al., ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION INDUCES THE LEVEL OF TGF-BETA-1 MESSENGER-RNA IN OSTEOBLASTIC CELLS BY A MECHANISM INVOLVING CALCIUM CALMODULIN PATHWAY/, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 237(2), 1997, pp. 225-229
It is well-known that electrical stimulation can prompt healing of bon
e fractures. However, the mechanism involved is less clear. In this st
udy, we found that capacitively coupled electric field-induced prolife
ration of osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) accompanied increased levels o
f transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA determined by qu
antitative reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction. Previous r
eports have shown that verapamil and W-7, both of which block voltage
gated calcium channels and inhibit the activation of cytosolic calmodu
lin, respectively, blocked capacitively coupled electric field-induced
proliferation of the osteoblast cells. Interestingly, we found that v
erapamil and W-7 can also block capacitively coupled electric field-in
duced elevation of TGF-beta 1 mRNA. This result suggested that electri
cal stimulation induces the level of TGF-beta 1 mRNA in osteoblastic c
ells by a mechanism involving calcium/calmodulin pathway, The potentia
l roles of TGF-beta in the electrical signal-induced osteogenesis was
discussed. (C) 1997 Academic Press.