title: Pericytes display increased CCN2 expression upon culturing.
abstract: By providing a source of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA)-expressing myofibroblasts, microvascular pericytes contribute to the matrix remodeling that occurs during tissue repair. However, the extent to which pericytes may contribute to the fibroblast phenotype post-repair is unknown. In this report, we test whether pericytes isolated from human placenta can in principle become fibroblast-like. Pericytes were cultured in vitro for 11 passages. The Affymetrix mRNA expression profile of passage 2 and passage 11 pericytes was compared. The expression of type I collagen, thrombospondin and fibronectin mRNAs was induced by passaging pericytes in culture. This induction of a fibroblast phenotype was paralleled by induction of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) and type I collagen protein expression and the fibroblast marker ASO2. These results indicate that, in principle, pericytes have the capacity to become fibroblast-like and that pericytes may contribute to the population of fibroblasts in a healed wound.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rheumatology, University College London (Royal Free Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London, UK, NW3 2PF.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shiwen
authors.forename: Vineeth
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Denton
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leask
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Abraham