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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Ultrasonic-augmented Primary Adult Fibroblast Isolation
Published on: July 29, 2019
Ultrastructural features of lung fibroblast differentiation into myofibroblasts
Riitta Kaarteenaho-Wiik1, Paavo Paakko, Raija Sormunen
1Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Research, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Riitta.Kaarteenaho-Wiik@oulu.fi
Abstract:
Fibroblast differentiation into myofibroblast in transforming growth factor-beta1-exposed human lung fibroblasts and the immunolocalizations of alpha-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, tenascin-C, and osteopontin in exposed cells were studied by conventional transmission electron microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. Ultrastructural features of myofibroblasts were detected after exposure, e.g., alpha-smooth muscle actin positive bundles in the cytoplasm of cells and extracellular fibronectin-containing structures on the surface of the cell forming fibronexus structure, osteopontin adjacent to rough endoplastic reticulum and extracellular tenascin-C in the vicinity of the cell. The authors concluded that exposure to transforming growth factor-beta1 can differentiate lung fibroblasts into ultrastructurally typical myofibroblasts.
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