title: Functional differences between neonatal and adult fibroblasts and keratinocytes: Donor age affects epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in vitro.
abstract: Clinical evidence suggests that healing is faster and almost scarless at an early neonatal age in comparison with that in adults. In this study, the phenotypes of neonatal and adult dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes (nestin, smooth muscle actin, keratin types 8, 14 and 19, and fibronectin) were compared. Furthermore, functional assays (proliferation, migration, scratch wound closure) including mutual epithelial‑mesenchymal interactions were also performed to complete the series of experiments. Positivity for nestin and α smooth muscle actin was higher in neonatal fibroblasts (NFs) when compared with their adult counterparts (adult fibroblasts; AFs). Although the proliferation of NFs and AFs was similar, they significantly differed in their migration potential. The keratinocyte experiments revealed small, poorly differentiated cells (positive for keratins 8, 14 and 19) in primary cultures isolated from neonatal tissues. Moreover, the neonatal keratinocytes exhibited significantly faster rates of healing the experimentally induced in vitro defects in comparison with adult cells. Notably, the epithelial/mesenchymal interaction studies showed that NFs in co-culture with adult keratinocytes significantly stimulated the adult epithelial cells to acquire the phenotype of small, non-confluent cells expressing markers of poor differentiation. These results indicate the important differences between neonatal and adult cells that may be associated with improved wound healing during the early neonatal period.
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Rosana
authors: R
authors: Mateu
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Veronika
authors: V
authors: Živicová
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Eliška Drobná
authors: ED
authors: Krejčí
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Miloš
authors: M
authors: Grim
authors: Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic vvi, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Hynek
authors: H
authors: Strnad
authors: Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic vvi, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Čestmír
authors: Č
authors: Vlček
authors: Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic vvi, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Michal
authors: M
authors: Kolář
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Lukáš
authors: L
authors: Lacina
authors: Department for Biomedical Research, East-Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Gál
authors: Department of ENT, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Jiří
authors: J
authors: Borský
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Karel
authors: K
authors: Smetana
authors: Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Barbora
authors: B
authors: Dvořánková
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D064231:Nestin / Q000378:metabolism; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D010641:Phenotype; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: C541116:ACTA2 protein, human; D000199:Actins; D005353:Fibronectins; D064231:Nestin