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Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Mimicking and Manipulating Pancreatic Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia in 3-dimensional Cell Culture
Published on: February 11, 2019
Effects of fibroblasts on the function of acinar cells from the same human parotid gland
Ya-Shuan Chou1, Yong-Chong Lin1, Tai-Horng Young1
1Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background:
Artificial salivary gland replacement would be an ideal treatment for xerostomia. In vivo, salivary gland cells are surrounded by a complex stromal environment in which fibroblasts are the main cell type in proximity to the gland cells. However, very little is known about the relationship between these fibroblasts and the gland cells.
Methods:
Parotid gland acinar cells (PGACs) and fibroblasts from the same human gland were cocultured. PGAC function-related protein expression was investigated.
Results:
The expression of α-amylase in PGACs was increased in a fibroblast ratio-dependent manner. Both fibroblast-conditioned medium and direct coculture also significantly enhanced the PGAC expression of α-amylase. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) seems to be a regulator of α-amylase expression in PGACs.
Conclusion:
An appropriate number of fibroblasts in contact with the PGACs is necessary to promote PGAC function. Fibroblast-secreted bFGF may play a paracrine signaling role in the regulation of α-amylase expression in PGACs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E279-E286, 2016.
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