A Trabecular Bone Explant Model of Osteocyte–Osteoblast Co-Culture for Bone Mechanobiology
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Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Vol. 2, No. 3, September 2009 (Ó 2009) pp. 405–415 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-009-0075-5 A Trabecular Bone Explant Model of Osteocyte–Osteoblast Co-Culture for Bone Mechanobiology 1 1 1,2 1 1 3 MEILIN ETE CHAN, XIN L. LU, BO HUO, ANDREW D. BAIK, VICTOR CHIANG, ROBERT E. GULDBERG, 4 1 HELEN H. LU, and X. EDWARD GUO 1Bone Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, Mail Code 8904, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA; 2Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, P.R. China; 3Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; and 4Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA (Received 10 June 2009; accepted 23 July 2009; published online 5 August 2009) Abstract—The osteocyte network is recognized as the major INTRODUCTION mechanical sensor in the bone remodeling process, and osteocyte–osteoblast communication acts as an important Osteocytes are mature bone cells encased in three- mediator in the coordination of bone formation and turn- dimensional (3D) mineralized bone matrix. A unique over. In this study, we developed a novel 3D trabecular bone feature of osteocytes is the long dendritic processes explant co-culture model that allows live osteocytes situated in their native extracellular matrix environment to be (~50 lm) that travel through canaliculi channels in the interconnected with seeded osteoblasts on the bone surface. extracellular matrix. These processes connect osteo- Using a low-level medium perfusion system, the viability of in cytes in the lacunae with each other and with other situ osteocytes in bone explants was maintained for up to types of cells, such as osteoblasts on the bone surface, 4 weeks, and functional gap junction intercellular communi- to form an extensive cellular communication network.8 cation (GJIC) was successfully established between osteo- cytes and seeded primary osteoblasts. Using this novel co- A recent study demonstrated that the absence of 35 culture model, the effects of dynamic deformational loading, osteocytes alone could induce osteoporosis. The GJIC, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release on functional transgenic mice with ablated osteocytes were resistant bone adaptation were further investigated. The results to unloading (tail suspension) induced bone loss, showed that dynamical deformational loading can signifi- indicating the critical role of osteocytes in detecting the cantly increase the PGE2 release by bone cells, bone formation, and the apparent elastic modulus of bone presence or absence of mechanical signals, controlling explants. However, the inhibition of gap junctions or the the bone remodeling process, and maintaining skeleton PGE2 pathway dramatically attenuated the effects of integrity. In vitro cell studies subjecting osteocytes to mechanical loading. This 3D trabecular bone explant mechanical stimuli such as fluid shear have identified co-culture model has great potential to fill in the critical several important biochemical pathways involved in gap in knowledge regarding the role of osteocytes as a mechano-sensor and how osteocytes transmit signals to bone mechanotransduction, such as intracellular cal- regulate osteoblasts function and skeletal integrity as cium, primary cilia, gap junction intercellular com- reflected in its mechanical properties. munication (GJIC), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and nitric oxide.1,2,21,22,24,34,36 It has also been recognized Keywords—Mechanotransduction, Explant, Osteocytes, that direct biochemical pathways between osteocytes Osteoblasts, Gap junction, PGE2. or between osteocytes and osteoblasts rely on either direct intercellular contacts such as gap junctions or paracrine/autocrine signaling via the narrow peri- cellular space between the osteocytic processes and the canalicular wall. Osteocytes have been shown to form gap junctions mainly using connexin 43 (Cx43), which allow rapid communication between two connected cells. In addition, Cx43 has been shown to form un- Address correspondence to X. Edward Guo, Bone Bioengineer- apposed hemi-channels, and these hemi-channels can ing Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia release PGE2 and adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP) University, 351 Engineering Terrace, Mail Code 8904, 1210 13,19,23 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA. Electronic mail: upon mechanical stimulation. A major limita- [email protected] tion in most in vitro studies of osteocytes is the 405 1865-5025/09/0900-0405/0 Ó 2009 Biomedical Engineering Society 406 CHAN et al. disruption of the spatial relationship between osteo- marrow and most surface cells with sterile PBS using cytes and osteoblasts, as well as between osteocytes and an Interplak water jet (WJ7B, ConAir, East Windsor, the mineralized extracellular matrix. For example, it is NJ). The treatment group was then treated with almost impossible to mimic the in vivo 3D canalicular Trypsin–EDTA solution for 5 min while the control system in these 2D in vitro culture systems. Thus, a group received regular culture medium. Bone cores in critical gap in knowledge remains regarding the role of both groups were washed again with sterile PBS using osteocytes as a mechano-sensor and how osteocytes the water jet. All cores were then cultured in six-well transmit signals to regulate osteoblast functions. plates. The cores were harvested after one, two, and Unlike 2D in vitro cell studies, explant cultures of three weeks (n = 4 for each group and time-point). At bone tissue have the advantage of allowing live each time point, each core was vertically cut in half and osteocytes to maintain their in vivo 3D morphology stained using a live/dead cell viability stain. The trypsin and intercellular connections and to be surrounded by treatment eliminated almost all surface cells while their native extracellular environment. Explant cul- maintaining osteocyte viability (Fig. 1). Next, primary tures can also simplify the complexities of in vivo ani- bovine osteoblasts were seeded into live trabecular mal models, allowing the roles of individual bone explants using a custom-designed cell seeder.32 biochemical or mechanical factors to be investigated The seeding efficiency and the final distribution of independently. Such bone explant culture models have seeded osteoblasts in the 3D trabecular bone explants been used to study the osteocyte response to various were examined. Two groups were compared in this biochemical and mechanical stimuli in their physio- study (n = 3 for each group): (1) no seeding and logical environment, both in cortical and trabecular (2) seeding of osteoblasts. Seeding efficiency was eval- bone.9,15–18,20,25,28–30,40 In this study, a novel 3D tra- uated by the difference of cell numbers in medium becular bone explant model of a co-culture of osteocytes before and immediately after seeding. The measure- and primary osteoblasts was developed and character- ment indicated that an average of 2 9 105 cells/core ized. With the ability to sustain long-term culture, the seeding efficiency was able to be achieved. The live/ functional bone formation and changes in elastic mod- dead stain and fluorescence microscopy visually verified ulus of trabecular bone were quantitatively assessed. The a uniform distribution of the seeded osteoblasts through- objectives of this study were to: (1) establish a 3D tra- out the 3D bone cores 24 h after seeding (Fig. 2). becular bone explant model of a co-culture of osteocytes and osteoblasts by demonstrating and quantifying con- Maintenance of Osteocyte Viability in Seeded trolled seeding of primary osteoblasts, intercellular Trabecular Bone Explants communications between live osteocytes in the trabecu- lar bone matrix and seeded osteoblasts, and the main- To maintain osteocyte and osteoblast viability tenance of cell viability for long-term studies, and (2) in seeded trabecular bone explants for long-term examine the roles of two biochemical pathways, i.e., mechanobiology studies, a perfusion system was GJIC and PGE2, in functional trabecular bone response employed to allow a low-level medium perfusion at (bone formation and changes in apparent elastic mod- 0.01 ml/min through the bone explants.10 Individual ulus) under dynamic deformational loading. bone core explants with seeded osteoblasts were placed into perfusion chambers after 24 h of static culture. To verify the efficacy of the perfusion system on osteocyte viability, three experimental groups were compared RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (n = 4): (1) initial cores after osteoblast seeding, (2) 2-week static culture, and (3) 2-week culture in the Establishment of Trabecular Bone Explant medium perfusion system. Live/dead stain and fluo- Co-Culture Model rescence microscopy showed that most of the osteo- To establish the trabecular bone explant co-culture cytes in the static culture group died after two weeks model of in situ osteocytes and the seeded primary (Fig. 3a). On the contrary, the osteocytes in the osteoblasts, bone marrow and all cells on the bone trabecular bone cores in the perfusion group survived surface must be removed for a subsequent controlled with a comparable viable osteocytes per bone area seeding of osteoblasts. A PBS rinse-trypsinization- (OCY/BA) value to that of bone cores at initial day rinse technique was developed to facilitate the removal zero state (Figs. 3b and 3c).