A quantitative method for the application of compressive forces to bone in tissue culture.

A quantitative method for the application of compressive forces to long bones in culture is described. Using this method it was found that a physiological pressure of 80g/cm sq. applied to tibiae of 16-day-old chick embryos reduced glucose consumption to 50% of controls. Twenty four hours after the release of pressure glucose utilization again increased, approaching control levels. A pressure of 80 g/cm sq. also stimulated thymidine incorporation into DNA. The same pressure decreased the size of the extracellular fluid pool by 8%, but had no effect on the rate of equilibration of this pool with 22Na.