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Updated: May 5, 2026

Isolation of Primary Myofibroblasts from Mouse and Human Colon Tissue
Published on: October 13, 2013
Interleukin 1 beta down-regulates collagen and augments collagenase expression in human intestinal smooth muscle
M F Graham1, A Willey, J Adams
1Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA. MGRAHAM@gems.vcu.edu.
Background & Aims:
Smooth muscle cells resident in the intestinal wall play a significant role in the healing of the injured intestine and in the fibrosis that complicates Crohn's disease. The cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) is involved in inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of this study was to determine the action of IL-1 beta on proliferation and collagen metabolism in human intestinal smooth muscle cells.
Results:
IL-beta caused a three-fold increase in [3H]thymidine uptake at 100 pmol/L. This mitogenic effect was equipotent with that of platelet-derived growth factor when cells were exposed to IL-beta for 48 vs. 24 hours. IL-beta inhibited the secretion of procollagen into culture medium by 70% and the accumulation of newly synthesized procollagen in cells by 55%. In addition, IL-beta caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of steady-state levels of procollagen I and III messenger RNA (85% inhibition at 100 pmol/L) and a 3-5-fold augmentation of collagenase messenger RNA levels.
Conclusions:
IL-beta is mitogenic for human intestinal smooth muscle cells, but this action is associated with a concomitant down-regulation of collagen synthesis and secretion and an augmention of collagenase expression.
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