Mechanical strain to bone is considered to be important for the maintenance of bone integrity and architecture. The process of bone (re)modeling under mechanical loading may repair fatigue damage and improve bone strength (1-3). Such (re)-modeling requires bone resorption and deposition by the concerted efforts of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Several studies have demonstrated that, in the absence of the systemic and local factors, mechanical loading on osteoblasts in vitro is able to increase prostaglandin release (4), stimulate cell division (5), alter collagen synthesis (6), and promote collagenase activity (7). Other induced proteins such as insulin-like growth factors I and II, transforming growth factor-, osteocalcin, osteopontin, nitric-oxide synthase, and cyclooxygease-2 have also been reported (8).Previously, we reported that mechanical strain induces collagenase 3 (MMP-13) 2 expression by MC3T3-E1 osteoblastlike cells (9). The MMP-13 mRNA induction is transient, stable, and does not require de novo protein synthesis, suggesting that an immediate action be taken by strained osteoblasts to participate in the resorption phase of matrix (re)modeling. MMP-13 is a neutral proteinase capable of degrading native fibrillar collagens in the extracellular space (10, 11). It may be involved in situations where rapid and effective remodeling of collagenous extracellular matrix is required. Hence, MMP-13 can be detected in primary fetal ossification during bone morphogenesis, and in remodeling of the mature skeletal tissue (12,13).Mechanical strain induction of MMP-13 may be mediated through a process of mechanotransduction, converting physical forces into biochemical signals and integrating these signals into cellular responses. In our stretch chamber system, we showed that the mechanotransduction utilizes the MEK/ERK signaling pathway to implement MMP-13 expression (9). However, the transduction mechanism involved remains unclear and awaits further investigation. Three lines of studies have prompted us to investigate the receptor of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) as a potential mechanoreceptor in the MMP-13 induction. PDGF-BB induces MMP-13 expression in osteoblasts (14, 15), whereas in vascular smooth