Abstract.
To elucidate the effect of fibroblast growth factor on the phenotypical conversion of fibroblasts to mesothelial cells, both immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examinations were carried out on cultured spheroids that were composed of fibroblasts obtained from the parietal pleura of rats with and without addition of antifibroblast growth factor receptor antibody. In the present study, antifibroblast growth factor receptor antibody was employed to block the effect of the autocrine component of fibroblast growth factor in the culture medium. Phenotypical conversion from fibroblast to mesothelial cells was clearly blocked in the experimental group, to which culture medium had been added with antifibroblast growth factor receptor antibody, whereas the control group, cultured without addition of antifibroblast growth factor receptor antibody, showed phenotypical conversion of fibroblasts that was confirmed by the development of macula adherens, microvilli, and positive expression of cytokeratin. These results indicate the possibility that fibroblast growth factor plays a key role in the process of phenotypic conversion of fibroblasts to regenerated mesothelial cells.
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Received: March 15, 2002 / Accepted: May 31, 2002
Present address: Department of Pathology, Omori Hospital, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Presented in part at the 32nd annual meeting of the Clinical Electron Microscopy Society of Japan, Kitakyushu, September 30, 2000
Correspondence to M. Amari
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Amari, M., Taguchi, K., Iwahara, M. et al. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study on effect of fibroblast growth factor on transformation of fibroblasts to regenerated mesothelial cells. Med Electron Microsc 35, 225–233 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007950200026
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007950200026