A continuous-flow culture system for organ culture of large explants of adult tissue: effect of oxygen tension on mouse molar periodontium

Go with the Flow-Trophoblasts in Flow Culture

With establishment of uteroplacental blood flow, the perfused fetal chorionic tissue has to deal with fluid shear stress that is produced by hemodynamic forces across different trophoblast subtypes. Amongst many other cell types, trophoblasts are able to sense fluid shear stress through mechanotransduction. Failure in the adaption of trophoblasts to fluid shear stress is suggested to contribute to pregnancy disorders. Thus, in the past twenty years, a significant body of work has been devoted to human- and animal-derived trophoblast culture under microfluidic conditions, using a rather broad range of different fluid shear stress values as well as various different flow systems, ranging from commercially 2D to customized 3D flow culture systems. The great variations in the experimental setup reflect the general heterogeneity in blood flow through different segments of the uteroplacental circulation. While fluid shear stress is moderate in invaded uterine spiral arteries, it drastically declines after entrance of the maternal blood into the wide cavity of the intervillous space. Here, we provide an overview of the increasing body of evidence that substantiates an important influence of maternal blood flow on several aspects of trophoblast physiology, including cellular turnover and differentiation, trophoblast metabolism, as well as endocrine activity, and motility. Future trends in trophoblast flow culture will incorporate the physiological low oxygen conditions in human placental tissue and pulsatile blood flow in the experimental setup. Investigation of trophoblast mechanotransduction and development of mechanosome modulators will be another intriguing future direction.

Effect of force level on synthesis of type III and type I collagen in mouse interparietal suture

Nine-week-old Swiss male white mice were divided into groups killed after time intervals of force application of six h, and one, three, five, seven, ten, 14, 21, and 28 days. Each group had 45 animals: three control, three sham-operated, and three experimental animals for each of the five force levels: 50 g, 35 g, 25 g, 15 g, and 5 g. The experimental animals had helical springs placed surgically in their calvaria for expansion of the interparietal suture. The sham-operated animals received inactive springs. Control animals were at the same age as the experimental and sham-operated animals. After death, the amount of sutural expansion was measured, and the calvaria with the implanted springs were explanted into Trowell-type organ culture dishes. [14C]-glycine was added for two h after 60 min of culture for all explants. The rate of suture expansion was directly proportional to the force value of the tensile stress, and a maximum 2.0-mm expansion was achieved for all force levels by the 28th day. Sutural collagen was solubilized by limited pepsin digestion, and radiolabeled types I and III alpha-chains were separated by SDS-PAGE, visualized fluorographically, and measured densitometrically. All the experimental and sham-operated animals responded with a rapid rise followed by an almost equally rapid fall in the proportion of newly-synthesized type III collagen before becoming stabilized for the rest of the experimental period at a level that was significantly higher than that of the control and sham-treated animals of the same age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of sutural growth rate on collagen phenotype synthesis

We determined the ratio of newly-synthesized type III collagen to the total of type I and type III collagen in mouse interparietal sutural tissue at selected ages between birth and adulthood (36 weeks old). We incubated mouse calvaria explants in Trowell-type organ culture dishes for one h and then added [14C]-glycine for two h. We dissected the interparietal sutural tissues for collagen solubilization by limited pepsin digestion. Fluorographic visualization of separated radiolabeled collagens, after SDS-PAGE, found the ratio of collagen type III alpha-chains to the total type I and type III alpha-chains to be age-dependent. The proportion of type III alpha-chains at birth was quite high, but there was a significant drop (p less than 0.05) during the first two days of life, probably because of the sudden environmental change from in utero. The proportion of type III alpha-chains rose significantly from day 2 to day 4, reaching a maximum and then dropping significantly to about the same proportion as at birth by day 7. A further significant drop took place during the second week of life, with the proportion stabilized at around 3.5% at two weeks to ten weeks of age. A final significant drop during the eleventh week of life led to no detectable synthesis of type III collagen after 12 weeks of age. The changes in the collagen phenotype ratio did not relate to changes in body weight during growth and development, which suggests that the interparietal suture may have an independent maturing pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The morphologic and biochemical effects of tensile force application to the interparietal suture of the Sprague-Dawley rat

The purpose of this study was to correlate the histologic and biochemical responses of the interparietal suture to a range of tensile forces. Stainless steel spring implants, calibrated to generate expansive forces from 50 to 250 g, were placed across the interparietal suture in 85 female Sprague-Dawley rats. After experimental periods from 2 hours to 14 days, the interparietal sutures were evaluated by radiography, histology, and biochemistry. An in vivo/in vitro system was used for the biochemical analysis; total protein, proline incorporated, percent collagen, and alkaline phosphatase activity were measured. The radiographs and histology showed that in vivo suture expansion was achievable with 50 to 70 g of force, but the heavier forces showed greater sutural opening, more cellular proliferation, and more bone formation. This increased biologic response by the heavier forces was substantiated by an increase in sutural protein and alkaline phosphatase activity but not in percent collagen. It was concluded that changes in the total protein content of the suture were not primarily caused by proliferation of osteogenic cells and fibroblasts but due to an influx of transudate. In contrast, the increase in incorporation of 3H-proline and alkaline phosphatase activity correlated with the observance of bone formation. This study indicated a positive correlation between the magnitude of tensile forces and osteogenic response.

Collagen and prostaglandin synthesis in force-stressed periodontal ligament in vitro

A periodontal organ culture system capable of receiving orthodontic type forces was developed. Histological, radioautographical, collagen, and prostaglandin synthetic data demonstrated the vitality of the organ over a 24-hour period of culture. Significant increases in the proportion of type III collagen synthesized during periods of active stress were found, but no alterations in relative levels of prostaglandins synthesized during periods of force application were discernible.

Effect of ascorbic acid on protein synthesis and collagen hydroxylation in continuous flow organ cultures of adult mouse periodontal tissues

A continuous flow organ culture system (CFCS) was used to determine the effect of ascorbic acid on the synthesis of collagen and noncollagenous protein by bone of the alveolar process and periodontal ligament in organ cultures of adult mouse periodontium. For the last 24 h of 2 day cultures, 5 microCi/ml 3H-proline was added to the medium. Highly purified collagenase was used to separate the collagenous and noncollagenous proteins and the incorporation of isotope into each fraction measured. Collage synthesized in the presence of less than 10 micrograms/ml ascorbic acid was found to be highly under-hydroxylated (pro:hypro ap. acts. 2.3-3.1) in both tissues. When the ascorbic acid levels were between 25 and 100 micrograms/ml, the synthesis of collagenous proteins was selectively stimulated and hydroxylation significantly improved (pro:hypro sp. acts 1.72-1.89). The effect of ascorbic acid was not related to tissue viability since tissues cultured initially in the absence of ascorbic acid were able to recover completely when compared to controls given ascorbic acid continuously. The proportion of radioactivity in collagen and noncollagenous protein, collagen hydroxylation, and percentage of collagen synthesized as type III (av.23%) in bone of the alveolar process was similar to that found in vivo. However, in the periodontal ligament in vitro the proportion of noncollagenous protein synthesized was increased from 70% to 87% and the percentage of type III collagen increased from 14% to 26% compared to in vivo results.