Osteocytes, the most abundant bone cells, form an interconnected network in the lacunar-canalicular pore system (LCS) buried within the mineralized matrix, which allows osteocytes to obtain nutrients from the blood supply, sense external mechanical signals, and communicate among themselves and with other cells on bone surfaces. In this study, we examined key features of the LCS network including the topological parameter and the detailed structure of individual connections and their variations in cortical and cancellous compartments, at different ages, and in two disease conditions with altered mechanosensing (perlecan deficiency and diabetes). LCS network showed both topological stability, in terms of conservation of connectivity among osteocyte lacunae (similar to the "nodes" in a computer network), and considerable variability the pericellular annular fluid gap surrounding lacunae and canaliculi (similar to the "bandwidth" of individual links in a computer network). Age, in the range of our study (15-32 weeks), affected only the pericellular fluid annulus in cortical bone but not in cancellous bone. Diabetes impacted the spacing of the lacunae, while the perlecan deficiency had a profound influence on the pericellular fluid annulus. The LCS network features play important roles in osteocyte signaling and regulation of bone growth and adaptation.

中文翻译：

---

骨细胞网络对骨室、年龄和疾病的依赖性。

骨细胞是最丰富的骨细胞，在埋藏在矿化基质中的腔隙 - 小管孔系统（LCS）中形成相互连接的网络，这使得骨细胞能够从血液供应中获取营养，感知外部机械信号，并在它们之间和与骨表面的其他细胞。在这项研究中，我们检查了 LCS 网络的关键特征，包括拓扑参数和个体连接的详细结构及其在皮质和松质室中的变化，在不同的年龄，以及在两种机械传感改变的疾病条件下（珍珠蛋白缺乏症和糖尿病） . LCS 网络在骨细胞陷窝（类似于计算机网络中的“节点”）之间的连通性守恒方面表现出拓扑稳定性，腔隙和小管周围的细胞周环液隙具有相当大的可变性（类似于计算机网络中各个链接的“带宽”）。在我们的研究范围内（15-32 周），年龄仅影响皮质骨中的细胞周液环，但不影响松质骨。糖尿病影响腔隙的间距，而细胞膜缺乏对细胞周液环有深远影响。LCS 网络特征在骨细胞信号传导以及骨生长和适应的调节中起着重要作用。糖尿病影响腔隙的间距，而细胞膜缺乏对细胞周液环有深远影响。LCS 网络特征在骨细胞信号传导以及骨生长和适应的调节中起着重要作用。糖尿病影响腔隙的间距，而细胞膜缺乏对细胞周液环有深远影响。LCS 网络特征在骨细胞信号传导以及骨生长和适应的调节中起着重要作用。