Substance P induces fibrotic changes through activation of the RhoA/ROCK pathway in an in vitro human corneal fibrosis model.

ABSTRACT: Fibrosis is characterized by hardening, overgrowth, and development of scars in various tissues as a result of faulty reparative processes, diseases, or chronic inflammation. During the fibrotic process in the corneal stroma of the eye, the resident cells called keratocytes differentiate into myofibroblasts, specialized contractile fibroblastic cells that produce excessive amounts of disorganized extracellular matrix (ECM) and pro-fibrotic components such as alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin. This study aimed to elucidate the role of substance P (SP), a neuropeptide that has been shown to be involved in corneal wound healing, in ECM production and fibrotic markers expression in quiescent human keratocytes, and during the onset of fibrosis in corneal fibroblasts, in an in vi

SUBMITTER: Sloniecka M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6746877 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature