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Osteoclasts and osteoblasts migrate in opposite directions in response to a constant electrical field
Author(s) -
Ferrier Jack,
Ross Stephen M.,
Kanehisa Junya,
Aubin Jane E.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.1041290303
Subject(s) - stimulation , in vitro , electrode , biophysics , field (mathematics) , microbiology and biotechnology , constant (computer programming) , signal (programming language) , electric field , chemistry , cell , biology , neuroscience , physics , biochemistry , computer science , pure mathematics , programming language , mathematics , quantum mechanics
Abstract We have investigated in vitro the effects of the electrical field produced by constant current on freshly isolated rabbit osteoclasts and on well characterized clonal rat osteoblastlike cells. At field strengths of 0.1 and 1 V/mm, the osteoclasts migrated rapidly toward the positive electrode, whereas the osteoblastlike cells migrated in the opposite direction, toward the negative electrode. Thus, different cell types from the same tissue can respond differently to the same electrical signal. These results have important implications for hypotheses concerning the cellular mechanism of galvanotaxis, and may also clarify the cellular basis of the clinical application of electrical stimulation of bone healing.