title: Emergence of fibrocytes showing morphological changes in the inflamed colonic mucosa.
abstract: Fibrocytes contribute to wound healing and are uniquely defined by coexpression of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cell markers. In this study, trafficking of fibrocytes was determined in a murine model of colitis induced by administering 3% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) for seven days. Colonic tissues were immunostained for CD45, collagen type I (Col I), and alpha-SMA. On day 0, there were no CD45(+)Col I(+) cells in colonic tissues. However, on day 7 when inflammatory cells showed remarkable accumulation, oval-shaped CD45(+)Col I(+) fibrocytes were obvious in the submucosal layer. On day 14 when colonic tissues were in the healing phase, numerous spindle-shaped CD45(+)Col I(+) fibrocytes were observed. Emergence of CD45(+)Col I(+) fibrocytes preceded the appearance of alpha-SMA(+) myofibroblasts. Oval-shaped fibrocytes recruited as early as the inflammatory phase of colitis are likely to differentiate into spindle-shaped fibrocytes in the healing phase, suggesting that fibrocytes may promote wound healing in inflamed colonic tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Cell Biology (F5), Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba-shi 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Tomoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Tatsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsuno
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isono
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D024042:Collagen Type I; C544013:alpha-smooth muscle actin, mouse; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens