Nanomechanical investigation of soft biological cell adhesion using atomic force microscopy

Mechanical coupling between living cells is a complex process that is important for a variety of biological processes. In this study the effects of specific biochemical treatment on cell-to-cell adhesion and single cell mechanics were systematically investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) single cell force spectroscopy. Functionalised AFM tipless cantilevers were used for attaching single suspended cells that were brought in contact with substrate cells. Cell-to-cell adhesion parameters, such as maximum unbinding force (F max) and work or energy of detachment (W D), were extracted from the retraction force–displacement (F–d) curves. AFM indentation experiments were performed by indenting single cells with a spherical microbead attached to the cantilever. Hertzian contact model was applied to determine the elastic modulus (E) of single cells. Following treatment of the cells with neutralising antibody for epithelial (E)-cadherin, F max was increased by 25%, whereas W D decreased by 11% in response to a 43% increase in E. The results suggest that although the adhesion force between cells was increased after treatment, the energy of adhesion was decreased due to the reduced displacement separation as manifested by the loss of elastic deformation. Conclusively, changes in single cell mechanics are important underlying factors contributing to cell-to-cell adhesion and hence cytomechanical characterization is critical for cell adhesion measurements

A putative functional role for oligodendrocytes in mood regulation

Altered glial structure and function is implicated in several major mental illnesses and increasing evidence specifically links changes in oligodendrocytes with disrupted mood regulation. Low density and reduced expression of oligodendrocyte-specific gene transcripts in postmortem human subjects points toward decreased oligodendrocyte function in most of the major mental illnesses. Similar features are observed in rodent models of stress-induced depressive-like phenotypes, such as the unpredictable chronic mild stress and chronic corticosterone exposure, suggesting an effect downstream from stress. However, whether oligodendrocyte changes are a causal component of psychiatric phenotypes is not known. Traditional views that identify oligodendrocytes solely as nonfunctional support cells are being challenged, and recent studies suggest a more dynamic role for oligodendrocytes in neuronal functioning than previously considered, with the region adjacent to the node of Ranvier (i.e., paranode) considered a critical region of glial–neuronal interaction. Here, we briefly review the current knowledge regarding oligodendrocyte disruptions in psychiatric disorders and related animal models, with a focus on major depression. We then highlight several rodent studies, which suggest that alterations in oligodendrocyte structure and function can produce behavioral changes that are informative of mood regulatory mechanisms. Together, these studies suggest a model, whereby impaired oligodendrocyte and possibly paranode structure and function can impact neural circuitry, leading to downstream effects related to emotionality in rodents, and potentially to mood regulation in human psychiatric disorders

Clinical and anatomical factors limiting treatment outcomes of gingival recession: a new method to predetermine the line of root coverage.

Complete root coverage is not always achievable, even in gingival recession with no loss of interproximal attachment and bone. The cemento-enamel junction is the most widely used referring parameter to evaluate root coverage results. The aim of the present study was to describe the most frequent diagnostic mistakes that may lead to incomplete root coverage in Miller Class I and II gingival recessions and to suggest a method to predetermine the level/line of root coverage in non-molar teeth. The line of root coverage (i.e., the level/line to which the soft tissue margin will be positioned after the healing process of a root coverage surgical technique) was predetermined by calculating the ideal vertical dimension of the interdental papilla of the tooth with the recession defect. This method was applied to 120 recession-type defects affecting non-molar teeth of 80 young healthy subjects that were treated with root coverage surgical procedures over the last 5 years. All recessions were Miller Class I or II and were associated with at least one of the following characteristics: 1) traumatic loss of the tip of the interdental papilla(e); 2) tooth rotation; 3) tooth extrusion with or without occlusal abrasion; and 4) a cervical abrasion defect with no evidence of the cemento-enamel junction. The line of root coverage may be considered the clinical cemento-enamel junction because it may substitute the anatomic cemento-enamel junction when this is no longer clinically visible on the tooth with recession or when the ideal conditions to obtain complete root coverage are not fully represented