METHODS. Cultured human TM cells were exposed to 1.0 ng/mL TGF2 for 12, 24, and 48 hours. Senescence-associated -galactosidase (SA-Gal) activity was investigated by histochemical staining. Lipid peroxidation was assessed after TGF2 treatment. Levels of apolipoprotein J (Apo J), SM22, and osteonectin (SPARC) mRNA were determined by real-time PCR analysis. Furthermore, the effects of antioxidants...

The concept of a matricellular protein was first proposed by Paul Bornstein in the mid-1990s to account for the non-lethal phenotypes of mice with inactivated genes encoding thrombospondin-1, tenascin-C, or SPARC. It was also recognized that these extracellular matrix proteins were primarily counter or de-adhesive. This review reappraises the matricellular concept after nearly two decades of co...

In situ hybridization (ISH) is a widely applied technique used for visualizing specific nucleic acid sequences at chromosomal, cytologic, and histologic levels. It sometimes fails, however, to demonstrate precise cell identity, early stages of gene expression and variants of alternative splicing because of its limited resolution. To overcome this shortcoming, we have developed an improved ISH t...