Glucocorticoids Alter Bone Microvascular Barrier via MAPK/Connexin43 Mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are standard-of-care treatments for inflammatory and immune disorders, and their long-term use increases the risk of osteoporosis. Although GCs decrease bone functionality, their role in bone microvasculature is incompletely understood. Herein, the study investigates the mechanisms of bone microvascular barrier function via osteoblast-endothelial interactions in response to GCs. The animal data shows that prednisolone (Psl) downregulated the osteoblast function and microvessel number and size. To investigate the role of GCs in bone endothelial barrier function further, a bicellular microfluidic in vitro system is developed and utilized, which consists of three-dimensional (3D) perfusable microvascular structures embedded in collagen I/osteoblast matrix. Interestingly,

SUBMITTER: Lee EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11912118 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature