Fibrillar collagen clamps lung mesenchymal cells in a nonproliferative and noncontractile phenotype

Abstract

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by phenotypic changes to mesenchymal cells and an increase in the deposition of fibrillar collagen (f Collagen). This study investigated the effect of type I fCollagen on the phenotypic plasticity of human parenchymal fibroblasts (PFbs) in vitro. Cell numbers were45%lower whencultured on fCollagen as compared with culture on its degradation product, monomeric collagen (mCollagen). DNA profiles indicated that fCollagen is antiproliferative, rather than proapoptotic. fCollagen suppressed basic fibroblast growth factor-stimulated increases in the levels of cyclin E and CDK2 mRNA. fCollagen also suppressed transforming growth factor-β (100 pM)-stimulated incre..