The penis in diabetes: structural analysis of connective tissue and smooth muscle alterations in a rabbit model

Airway remodeling describes the structural changes that occur in the asthmatic airway that include airway smooth muscle hyperplasia, increases in vascularity due to angiogenesis, and thickening of the basement membrane. Our aim in this study was to examine the effect of transforming growth factor-β on the release of connective tissue growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor from human airway smooth muscle cells derived from asthmatic and nonasthmatic patients. In addition we studied the immunohistochemical localization of these cytokines in the extracellular matrix after stimulating bronchial rings with transforming growth factor-β. Connective tissue growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor were released from both cell types and colocalized in the surrounding extracellular matrix. Prostaglandin E2 inhibited the increase in connective tissue growth factor mRNA but augmented the release of vascular endothelial growth factor. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 decreased the amount of connective tissue growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, but not fibronectin deposited in the extracellular matrix. This report provides the first evidence that connective tissue growth factor may anchor vascular endothelial growth factor to the extracellular matrix and that this deposition is decreased by matrix metalloproteinase-2 and prostaglandin E2. This relationship has the potential to contribute to the changes that constitute airway remodeling, therefore providing a novel focus for therapeutic intervention in asthma.

Download Full-text

Immunological Properties of Connective Tissue and Smooth Muscle Cells

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - Arterial Mesenchyme and Arteriosclerosis ◽

10.1007/978-1-4684-3243-5_17 ◽

1974 ◽

pp. 335-353 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. Renais ◽

P. Hadjiisky ◽

L. Scebat

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Muscle Cells ◽

Immunological Properties

Download Full-text

Connective Tissue Disorders and Smooth Muscle Disorders in Cardiology

Clinical Cardiogenetics ◽

10.1007/978-1-84996-471-5_18 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 263-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

K. van Engelen ◽

B. J. M. Mulder

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Connective Tissue Disorders ◽

Muscle Disorders

Download Full-text

Immunocytochemical characteristics of submucosal uterine myomas

Vojnosanitetski pregled ◽

10.2298/vsp1012977m ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 67 (12) ◽

pp. 977-982 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aleksandra Mladenovic-Mihailovic ◽

Zorica Mladenovic-Bogdanovic ◽

Predrag Mitrovic ◽

Irena Tanaskovic ◽

Slavica Usaj-Knezevic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Smooth Muscle Actin ◽

Muscle Cells ◽

Synthetic Activity ◽

Benign Tumors ◽

Paraffin Sections ◽

Weak Reaction ◽

Synthetic Phenotype

Background/Aim. Myomas of the uterus, the most common benign tumors, have been studied for decades from the aspects of different basic and clinical disciplines. Despite this fact, their pathogenesis is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine immunocytochemical characteristics of smooth muscle cells and connective tissue components of submucosal myomas of the uterus. Method. During the course of this study, 25 samples of submucosal myomas of the uterus were analyzed, all of them obtained during the surgery, after abdominal histerctomy by Aldridge. The samples were fixed in 4% formalin and embedded in paraffin. Sections of 5 ?m thickness were stained immunocytochemically using the DAKO LSAB+/HRP technique to identify ?- smooth muscle actin (?-SMA), vimentin, desmin, CD34, CD45, CD68 and PCNA (DAKO specification). Results. Our results suggest that submucosal myomas of the uterus are build-up of smooth muscle cells which are immunoreactive to ?-SMA and desmin, but also to a certain number of smooth muscle cells which are immunoreactive to ?-SMA and vimentin. Some of vimentin-immunoreactive cells also show an immunoreactivity of PCNA. In the build-up of connective stroma CD34-immunoreactive fibroblasts and neovascular formations are also present. By examining the distribution of CD45 antigen, at all the analyzed samples we observed a weak reaction. Conclusion. Submucosal myomas of the uterus are made-up of smooth muscle cells of the highly differentiated contractile phenotype (?-SMA- and desminimmunoreactivity), as well as smooth muscle cell of the synthetic phenotype which proliferate (?-SMA-, vimentin- and PCNA-immunoreactivity). In submucosal myoma of the uterus there is a significant presence of connective tissue as a result of synthetic activity of fibroblasts, which clearly differ in their immunocytochemical characteristics from smooth muscle cells of the synthetic phenotype.

Download Full-text

AGE-RELATED SMOOTH MUSCLE FORMATION IN PELVIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE

The Journal of Urology ◽

10.1016/s0022-5347(08)61389-0 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 179 (4S) ◽

pp. 473-473

Author(s):

Christian Wallner ◽

Jeanette Bouma ◽

Yvonne Mennen ◽

Noshir F Dabhoiwala ◽

Marco C DeRuiter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Age Related ◽

Muscle Formation

Download Full-text

Abstract 311: Osteogenic Transcription Factor Runx2 Represses Connective Tissue Growth Factor Gene Expression And TGFβ Signaling In Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.116.suppl_16.ii_44 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽

Author(s):

Toru Tanaka ◽

Takehisa Shimizu ◽

Norimichi Koitabashi ◽

Hiroki Matsui ◽

Hiroshi Doi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Transcription Factor ◽

Smooth Muscle ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Tissue Growth ◽

Matrix Synthesis ◽

Tgfβ Signaling

[Objective] Runx2, a key transcription factor in osteoblast differentiation, is expressed in calcified atherosclerotic plaques. We have recently shown that Runx2 represses vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) differentiation and promotes their osteogenic differentiation. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been implicated in the progression to vulnerable plaque by inducing mononuclear cell chemotaxis and VSMCs apoptosis despite of its potent stimulatory effect on connective tissue cell the proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis. To assess the role of Runx2 in the process of plaque development, we investigated the molecular mechanism of the CTGF gene expression by Runx2 in VSMCs. [Methods and Results] RT-PCR analyses showed that adenovirally overexpressed Runx2 significantly repressed the basal expression of the CTGF gene in human aortic SMCs (HASMCs). Consistent with this, knockdown of the Runx2 expression in HASMCs by small interfering RNA (siRNA) increased CTGF mRNA levels. Luciferase assays showed that Runx2 reduced the transcriptional activity of the CTGF promoter. Transfection of a series of 5′-deletion constructs revealed that Runx2 inhibited CTGF expression through the sequence element located at 5′ untranslated region of CTGF mRNA. We next examined the effects of Runx2 on the TGFβ-induced CTGF expression. Runx2 overexpression significantly repressed CTGF expression in HASMCs stimulated with TGFβ, and knockdown of Runx2 by siRNA enhanced the induction of CTGF expression in response to TGFβ. Runx2 repressed TGFβ-induced CTGF promoter activity through the sequence including Smad binding element (SBE). Overexpression of Runx2 significantly reduced TGFβ- and Smad3-mediated luciferase activity of Smad-dependent promoter which contains four copies of SBE. Biotinylated DNA pulldown assay using SBE of CTGF promoter showed that Runx2 formed a complex with Smad3 and Smad4. [Conclusion] Runx2 repressed basal and TGFβ-induced CTGF gene expression in VSMCs. Thus, in addition to the potential for inducing vascular calcification, Runx2 may affect plaque stability by modulating extracellular matrix synthesis through inhibiting CTGF gene expression and TGFβ signaling.

Download Full-text

Uterine Leiomyoma or Sarcoma?

Handbook of Research on Oncological and Endoscopical Dilemmas in Modern Gynecological Clinical Practice - Advances in Medical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4213-2.ch020 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 289-304

Author(s):

Theodoros Theodoridis ◽

Dimitra Aivazi ◽

Leonidas Zepiridis ◽

Nikolaos Vlachos

Keyword(s):

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Smooth Muscle ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Muscle Cells ◽

Uterine Sarcoma ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Optimal Management ◽

Benign Neoplasms ◽

Uterine Sarcomas ◽

Epithelial Neoplasms

Uterine leiomyomas are benign neoplasms derived from the smooth muscle cells of the myometrium. In contrast, uterine sarcomas are rare tumors, with a prevalence of 3-7 per 100,000 women, originating from myometrial cells or endometrial connective tissue. Uterine sarcomas and especially leiomyosarcomas are more aggressive than uterine epithelial neoplasms. The differential diagnosis between leiomyoma and uterine sarcoma preoperatively remains challenging for the clinical practitioner in order to determine optimal treatment. The chapter aims to summarize current evidence regarding differential diagnosis and optimal management of these two challenging clinical entities.

Download Full-text