Background: Alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is an isoform of actin, positive in myofibroblasts and is an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker. EMT is a process by which tumor cells develop to be more hostile and able to metastasize. Progression of tumor cells is always followed by cell composition and extracellular matrix component alteration. Increased α-SMA expression and colla...

Microvessel density (MVD) as an angiogenesis predictor is inefficient per se in cancer prognosis. We evaluated prognostic values of combining intratumoral alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive stromal cell density and MVD after curative resection in hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hypovascular pancreatic cancer (PC). Tissue microarrays were constructed from tumors of 305 H...

BACKGROUND Increased airway smooth muscle is observed in large and small airways in asthma. Semi-quantitative estimates suggest that cells containing alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) are also increased in the lung parenchyma. This study quantified and characterized α-SMA positive cells (α-SMA+) in the lung parenchyma of non-asthmatic and asthmatic individuals. METHODS Post-mortem sections of...

BACKGROUND Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) are thought to regulate tumor growth and metastasis. Fibroblast Activating Protein 1 (FAP-1) is a marker for fibroblast activation and by many recognized as the main marker of CAFs. Alpha Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA) is a general myofibroblast marker, and can be used to identify CAFs. This study investigates the prognostic impact of FAP-1 and α-SMA...

Bradykinin (BK) induces fibroblast contraction but the structural changes and intracellular mechanisms involved have not been completely explored. We stimulated HFL-1 fibroblasts with BK to assess: 1) fibroblast contractility; 2) the role of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in contraction by small interfering RNA (siRNA); 3) α-SMA protein expression; 4) α-SMA and F-actin structure; 5) intracellular ...

We previously reported that a restrictive N-terminal truncation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI-ND) is up-regulated in the heart in adaptation to hemodynamic stresses. Over-expression of cTnI-ND in the hearts of transgenic mice revealed functional benefits such as increased relaxation and myocardial compliance. In the present study, we investigated the subsequent effect on myocardial remodeling. Th...

BACKGROUND Extracellular heat shock protein 70 and peptide complexes (eHSP70/HSP70-PCs) regulate a variety of biological behaviors in tumor cells. Whether eHSP70/HSP70-PCs are involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumor cells remains unclear. AIMS To determine the effects of eHSP70/HSP70-PCs on EMT of hepatocarcinoma cells. METHODS The expressions of E-cadherin, HSP70, ...

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by structural changes in alveoli and airways. Our aim was to analyse the numbers of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive cells, as a marker of myofibroblasts, in different lung compartments in non-smokers and smokers with normal lung function or COPD. METHODS α-SMA, tenascin-C (Tn-C) and EDA-fibronectin in alveolar...

BACKGROUND Vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) are a heterogeneous population, containing a subpopulation co-expressing both endothelial and smooth muscle phenotypes. This study sought to determine whether the level of this subpopulation correlated with the coronary Gensini score. METHODS AND RESULTS VPCs were cultivated in 50 patients undergoing coronary angiography. A subpopulation of VPCs exp...

Phenotypic transformation of mesangial cells (MCs) is implicated in the development of glomerular disease; however, the mechanisms underlying their altered genetic program is still unclear. α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is known to be a crucial marker for phenotypic transformation of MCs. Recently, E-boxes and the class I basic helix-loop-helix proteins, such as E12 have been shown to regulateα...