Altered intercellular communication in lung fibroblast cultures from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Gap junctions are membrane channels formed by an array of connexins which links adjacent cells realizing an electro- metabolic synapse. Connexin-mediated communication is crucial in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and development. The activation and proliferation of phenotypically altered fibroblasts are central events in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We sought to evaluate the role of connexin-43, the most abundant gap-junction subunit in the human lung, in the pathogenesis of this condition.

Methods

We investigated the transcription and protein expression of connexin-43 and the gap-junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in 5 primary lung fibroblast lines derived from normal subjects (NF) and from 3 histologically proven

SUBMITTER: Trovato-Salinaro A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1594576 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature