title: [Effect of arecoline on the differentiation of myofibroblasts of oral mucosa].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the origin of myofibroblasts in oral submucous fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts were isolated and cultured. The expression of the alpha-smooth muscle actin in the fibroblasts was examined by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No difference was found in expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin between the fibroblasts that were directly stimulated by arecoline and the control. The expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin in the keratinocyte and fibroblast-cocultured group was higher than in the control group, and higher in fibroblasts cocultured with keratinocytes preprocessed by arecoline than in fibroblasts cocultured with keratinocytes without preprocessed by arecoline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differentiation of myofibroblasts from fibroblasts in oral submucous fibrosis might be induced by the interaction of arecoline and keratinocyte.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tian-You
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Yi-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D001115:Arecoline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001115:Arecoline