Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein involved in fibrosis. The present study investigated the importance of periostin in hypertension‑induced myocardial fibrosis. Rats were randomly divided into either the normal group (0.4% NaCl diet; n=8) or hypertension group (8% NaCl diet; n=8). For 36 weeks, the blood pressure and heart rate of the rats were monitored. At week 36, the hearts were e...

Myofibroblast accumulation is a pathological feature of lung diseases requiring oxygen therapy. One possible source for myofibroblasts is through the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of alveolar epithelial cells (AEC). To study the effects of oxygen on alveolar EMT, we used RLE-6TN and ex vivo lung slices and found that hyperoxia (85% O2, H85) decreased epithelial proteins, presurfact...

The proinflammatory factor high‑mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis; however, the role of HMGB1 in lung fibrosis remains unclear. It has previously been reported that nuclear factor (NF)‑κB and transforming growth factor (TGF)‑β1 may be involved in lung fibrosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the potential molecular mecha...

Scarring, which occurs in essentially all adult tissue, is characterized by the excessive production and remodeling of extracellular matrix by α-smooth muscle actin (SMA)-expressing myofibroblasts located within connective tissue. Excessive scarring can cause organ failure and death. Oral gingivae do not scar. Compared to dermal fibroblasts, gingival fibroblasts are less responsive to transform...

Myoepithelial cells have been implicated in the regulation of the transition from in situ to invasive neoplasia in salivary gland tumors. Considering the importance of the microenvironment of the tumor, the present in vitro study therefore analyzed the morphological and phenotypic changes undergone by benign myoepithelial cells from pleomorphic adenoma (PA) stimulated by tumor-conditioned mediu...

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterised by myofibroblast proliferation leading to architectural destruction. Neither the origin nor the continued proliferation of myofibroblasts is well understood. Explanted human IPF lungs were stained by immunohistochemistry for calretinin, a marker of pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibro...

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) invasion is followed by several stromal events such as inflammatory and immune cell infiltration, neo-vascularization, fibroblast activation and occasionally myofibroblast emergence. Our previous studies demonstrated that myofibroblasts in the stroma of OSCC are associated with a more aggressive behavior, leading to shorter patient overall survival. Therefore...

Pancreatic fibrosis develops as the results of the activity of myofibroblasts capable of producing collagens. The myofibroblasts derive from pancreatic interstitial cells, including pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which can express glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). First, we investigated the expression patterns of vimentin, desmin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Thy-1 and GFAP in the de...

We tested the hypothesis that phenotypically modulated smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and related inflammation are associated with the progression of experimental occlusive pulmonary vascular disease (PVD). Occlusive PVD was induced by combined exposure to a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor Sugen 5416 and hypobaric hypoxia for 3 weeks in rats, which were then re...

BACKGROUND Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is closely associated with the cytoskeleton, inflammation, wound healing, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and myocardial regeneration, but the effects of Tβ4 treatment on chronic renal tubular interstitial fibrosis (CRTIF) are poorly known. This study aimed to examine the effects of Tβ4 on the renal apoptosis and the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF-β), E-cadh...