Mechanosensing Biology
Mechanical stress is vital to the functioning of the body, especially for tissues such as bone, muscle, heart, and vessels. It is well known that astronauts and bedridden patients suffer muscle and bone loss from lack of use. Even the heart, in pumping bl
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Masaki Noda Editor
Mechanosensing Biology
Editor Masaki Noda M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Director Medical Research Institute Tokyo Medical and Dental University 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8510, Japan [email protected]
ISBN 978-4-431-89756-9 e-ISBN 978-4-431-89757-6 DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-89757-6 Springer Tokyo Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2010941751 © Springer 2011 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover illustration: Mechanisms involved in the response of osteoblasts to mechanical forces. From Chapter 8, courtesy of P. J. Marie. Figures were produced using Servier Medical Art (www.servier.com). Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
Mechanical stress is known to regulate body function, evidence of which can be seen in many tissues such as bone, muscle, heart, and vessels. Bedridden patients lose bone when they are immobilized for a long time. Astronauts also experience muscle and bone loss during space flight. The heart functions to pump blood, causing mechanical stress to itself and to vascular tissue. The effects of mechanical stress can be observed not only in adults but also in developmental periods of life. Even the earliest establishment of primordial tissues required microenvironmental stress that would later play a role in the maintenance of cell structure and the shape of organs. The function of certain membrane channels is regulated by mechanical stress. In conjunction with local mechanical stimuli, systemic regulatory events such as endocrine and neurological controls work interactively. To respond to its environment, the body requires the signals of mechanical stress in the skeletal tissue cells. It has been suggested that multiple signaling pathways operate in diverse types of cells by responding in different ways to mechanical stress. In muscle cells, membrane proteins have been shown to maintain their localization and functions under loading conditions, whereas loss of mechanical stress can lead to rapid loss of membrane proteins such as dystrophin. Homeostasis is impaired upon loss of mechanical stress, leading to pathological conditions such as osteopenia, muscle atrophy, and vascular tissue dysfunction. It is important, therefore, to understand the mechanisms of such signaling induced by mechanical stress in the maintenance of homeostasis. These mechanical signaling events are believed to maintain the functioning of the body and must be considered in contem
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