Piezoelectric effect stimulates the rearrangement of chondrogenic cells and alters ciliary orientation via atypical PKCζ

• Published in: Biochemistry and biophysics reports Vol. 30; p. 101265
• Main Authors: Lim, Jormay, Liu, Yu-Cheng, Chu, Ya-Cherng, Lin, Yu-Xuan, Hwang, Wen-Hao, Wang, Jaw-Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Cell rearrangement; Chondrogenic cells; Ciliary orientation; Piezoelectric stimulation; PKCζ; Short Communication; Cell rearrangement; Ciliary orientation; PKCζ; Piezoelectric stimulation; Chondrogenic cells
• ISSN: 2405-5808; 2405-5808
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101265

Therapeutic ultrasound was administered to patients suffering from bone fracture with FDA approval. Bone and cartilage are piezoelectric materials. To investigate the effects of piezoelectricity on the cells of chondrogenic lineage, we applied ultrasound stimulation on an AT-cut quartz coverslip to generate electric field fluctuations. The bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) and primary chondrocytes were cultured on either glass or quartz coverslips for ultrasound stimulation. The cells were immunofluorescent-labeled for the assessment of cell arrangement and ciliary orientation. Ultrasound and piezoelectricity both stimulate cell migration and disrupt ciliary orientation induced by directional migration. In particular, piezoelectric effects on cell rearrangement can be abolished by the inhibitor specifically targeting atypical Protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ). Our findings shed light on the possibility of cellular modulation by using piezoelectric manipulation. •Separating the effect of piezoelectric stimulation from ultrasound stimulation.•Cell migration accelerates upon ultrasound and piezoelectric stimulation.•Piezoelectric stimulation influences cell polarity of chondrogenic lineage.•Piezoelectric stimulation induces cell rearrangement via PKCζ.•Novel strategy for modulating cell growth, cell differentiation or tissue engineering via piezoelectric stimulation.