title: Gap junctional communication in tissue inflammation and repair.
abstract: Local injury induces a complex orchestrated response to stimulate healing of injured tissues, cellular regeneration and phagocytosis. Practically, inflammation is defined as a defense process whereby fluid and white blood cells accumulate at a site of injury. The balance of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors is likely to play a key role in regulating important cell functions such as migration, proliferation, and matrix synthesis during the process of inflammation. Hence, the initiation, maintenance, and resolution of innate responses depend upon cellular communication. A process similar to tissue repair and subsequent scarring is found in a variety of fibrotic diseases. This may occur in a single organ such as liver, kidneys, pancreas, lung, skin, and heart, but fibrosis may also have a more generalized distribution such as in atherosclerosis. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances on the contribution of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in the modulation of the inflammatory response and tissue repair.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Investigation III, Department of Pediatrics, HUG-P.O. BOX 14, Micheli-du-Crest, 24, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. Marc.Chanson@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chanson
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Derouette
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Foglia
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Scerri
authors.forename: Tecla
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dudez
authors.forename: Brenda R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kwak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017630:Connexins / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D017630:Connexins; D016207:Cytokines