Signal pathways and ligament cell adhesiveness.

The influence of signal pathways involved in the adhesion of fibroblasts from the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments to fibronectin was investigated. Specific emphasis was paid to the cyclic adenosine monophosphate and Ca2+/phospholipid pathways to determine the signaling mediated by integrin receptors during cell binding and spreading on a fibronectin-coated glass surface and to compare the roles of these two pathways in integrin-mediated adhesion in fibroblasts from the two ligaments. Individual cell adhesion strengths were determined using a micropipette-micromanipulation system after the cells were treated with signal pathway inhibiting agents. Adhesion in fibroblasts from the medial collateral ligament was significantly reduced by inhibiting agents for Gi protein, protein kinase A, protein kinase C, protein kinase G, phospholipase C, and calmodulin, which suggests a crucial role for cyclic adenosine monophosphate and Ca2+/phospholipid signaling in integrin-mediated adhesion of these fibroblasts. Adhesion in fibroblasts from the anterior cruciate ligament, however, was reduced only by a protein kinase C inhibiting agent and was increased by inhibiting agents for protein kinase A, protein kinase G, and calmodulin, which suggests only a partial role of Ca2+/phospholipid signaling in integrin-mediated adhesion of these fibroblasts. On the basis of additional parallel studies on the role of intracellular calcium in integrin-mediated adhesion, medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament fibroblast adhesion was calcium dependent throughout the 60 minute time course of adhesion experiments. Fibroblasts from the medial collateral ligament demonstrated a 2.2-fold increase in cytosolic free calcium upon binding to fibronectin, whereas fibroblasts from the anterior cruciate ligament demonstrated no significant increase in calcium. Overall, the study of the intrinsic differences between anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament fibroblasts in their signal pathways upon binding to fibronectin may reveal information important for further explaining the lack of functional healing response in the anterior cruciate ligament after injury.