Transforming growth factor-β-Induced differentiation of airway smooth muscle cells is inhibited by fibroblast growth factor-2

Abstract

In asthma, basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) plays an important (patho)physiological role. This study examines the effects of FGF-2 on the transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b)-stimulated differentiation of airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells in vitro. The differentiation of humanASMcells after incubation with TGF-b(100 pM)and/ or FGF-2 (300 pM) for 48 hours was assessed by increases in contractile protein expression, actin-cytoskeleton reorganization, enhancements in cell stiffness, and collagen remodeling. FGF-2 inhibited TGF-β-stimulated increases in transgelin (SM22) and calponin gene expression (n = 15, P < 0.01) in an extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signal transduct..