|
|
||||||||
1 Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2X 2P2; and 2 Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
We have developed a novel cell culture
system that supports the shortening of smooth muscle cells. Primary rat
airway smooth muscle cells were plated on an ethanol-fixed, confluent
monolayer of homologous smooth muscle cells (homologous cell substrate, HCS). Cells grown on HCS exhibited morphological and functional characteristics consistent with a differentiated phenotype. Cells on
HCS were spindle shaped with a well-defined long axis, whereas cells
grown on glass were larger and irregularly shaped. Smooth muscle-specific
-actin immunostained diffusely in cells on HCS, whereas it appeared as stress fibers in cells on glass. Agonists recruited a greater fraction of HCS cells to contract, resulting in
greater changes in cell area or length on average, but the maximal
capacity of shortening of individual cells was similar between the
groups. Unlike cells on glass, cells on HCS shortened to methacholine.
HCS was reversible and persisted over several passages. Agonists
stimulated intracellular Ca2+ oscillations in cells on HCS,
whereas they elicited biphasic peak and plateau transients in cells on
glass. HCS modulates smooth muscle cell phenotype in vitro.
cell contraction; extracellular matrix; intracellular calcium
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
J. P. Gawaziuk, X. Ma, F. Sheikh, Z-Q. Cheng, P. A. Cattini, and N. L. Stephens Transforming growth factor-{beta} as a differentiating factor for cultured smooth muscle cells Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2007; 30(4): 643 - 652. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. R. Gil, N. B. Zitouni, E. Azoulay, K. Maghni, and A.-M. Lauzon Smooth muscle myosin isoform expression and LC20 phosphorylation in innate rat airway hyperresponsiveness Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, November 1, 2006; 291(5): L932 - L940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. A. Smith, B. Tolloczko, J. G. Martin, and P. Grutter Probing the Viscoelastic Behavior of Cultured Airway Smooth Muscle Cells with Atomic Force Microscopy: Stiffening Induced by Contractile Agonist Biophys. J., April 1, 2005; 88(4): 2994 - 3007. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S.-Y. Eum, K. Maghni, B. Tolloczko, D. H. Eidelman, and J. G. Martin IL-13 may mediate allergen-induced hyperresponsiveness independently of IL-5 or eotaxin by effects on airway smooth muscle Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, March 1, 2005; 288(3): L576 - L584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |