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Updated: May 13, 2026

Inducing Dendritic Growth in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons
Published on: March 21, 2012
Sympathetic neuron can promote osteoblast differentiation through BMP signaling pathway
Ji-Ye He1, Xin-Feng Zheng, Sheng-Dan Jiang
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
Abstract:
Communication between sympathetic neurons and osteoblasts through the adrenergic receptor pathway has already been reported. To investigate whether the sympathetic neurons have a direct effect on osteoblast differentiation, an in vitro Transwell coculture system was established in which osteoblasts were cocultured with sympathetic neurons with no cell-to-cell contact. The expression of osteogenesis-related genes was upregulated in osteoblasts cocultured with sympathetic neurons. Meanwhile, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) mRNA and protein expressions were detected in sympathetic neurons, and BMP secretion from sympathetic neurons was also confirmed. However, transfection with BMP-2 and/or BMP-6 siRNA in sympathetic neurons caused a down-regulation of osteogenesis-related genes in the cocultured osteoblasts. Sympathetic neurons promoted osteoblast differentiation through BMP signaling pathway, implying that the integrity of sympathetic neurons was important for optimal bone formation and remodeling.
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