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Cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation in vivo and in vitro: Expression of focal adhesion components in neonatal and adult rat ventricular myofibroblasts
Author(s) -
Santiago JonJon,
Dangerfield Aran L.,
Rattan Sunil G.,
Bathe Krista L.,
Cunnington Ryan H.,
Raizman Joshua E.,
Bedosky Kristen M.,
Freed Darren H.,
Kardami Elissavet,
Dixon Ian M.C.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.22280
Subject(s) - myofibroblast , fibronectin , biology , fibroblast , focal adhesion , microbiology and biotechnology , extracellular matrix , cardiac fibrosis , fibrosis , pathology , in vitro , medicine , signal transduction , biochemistry
In fibrosing hearts, myofibroblasts are associated with cardiac extracellular matrix remodeling. Expression of key genes in the transition of cardiac fibroblast to myofibroblast phenotype in post‐myocardial infarction heart and in vitro has not been well addressed. Contractile, focal adhesion‐associated, receptor proteins, fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) expression, and motility were compared to assess phenotype in adult and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Neonatal and adult fibroblasts undergo phenotypic transition to myofibroblastic cells, marked by increased α‐smooth muscle actin (αSMA), smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMemb), extra domain‐A (ED‐A) fibronectin, paxillin, tensin, FGF‐2, and TβRII receptor. Elevated ED‐A fibronectin confirmed fibroblast to supermature myofibroblastic phenotype transition. Presence of myofibroblasts in vivo was noted in sections of healed infarct scar after myocardial infarction, and their expression is similar to that in culture. Thus, cultured neonatal and adult cardiac fibroblasts transition to myofibroblasts in vitro and share expression profiles of cardiac myofibroblasts in vivo. Reduced motility with in vitro passage reflects enhanced production of focal adhesions. Developmental Dynamics 239:1573–1584, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.