Mechanically induced intracellular calcium waves in osteoblasts demonstrate calcium fingerprints in bone cell mechanotransduction

An early response to mechanical stimulation of bone cells in vitro is an increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+](i)). This study analyzed the [Ca2+](i) wave area, magnitude, duration, rise time, fall time, and time to onset in individual osteoblasts for two identical bouts of mechanical stimulation separated by a 30-min rest period. The area under the [Ca2+](i) wave increased in the second loading bout compared to the first. This suggests that rest periods may potentiate mechanically induced intracellular calcium signals. Furthermore, many of the [Ca2+](i) wave parameters were strongly positively correlated between the two bouts of mechanical stimulation. For example, in individual primary osteoblasts, if a cell had a large [Ca2+](i) wave area in the first bout it was likely to have a large [Ca2+](i) wave area in the second bout (r(2) = 0.933). These findings support the idea that individual bone cells have "calcium fingerprints" (i.e., a unique [Ca2+](i) wave profile that is reproducible for repeated exposure to a given stimulus).