Cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP: mediators of the mechanical effects on bone remodeling.

Compressive forces of physiological magnitude (60 grams per square centimeter) reduce the adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate content of the epiphyses of tibiae from 16-day-old chick embryos. An equivalent hydrostatic pressure applied directly to cells isolated from this tissue also affects cyclic nucleotide accumulation. The tissue response is uniform throughout the epiphysis, whereas the cell response varies according to the area of origin.