Showing papers on "Smoothelin published in 2009"

miR-145 directs intestinal maturation in zebrafish.

Abstract: The rapid specification and differentiation of the embryonic zebrafish gut is essential to provide contractility for the digestion of food. The role of microRNAs in modulating gut epithelial or smooth muscle differentiation is currently not known. Here we show that the microRNA miR-145 is strongly expressed in zebrafish gut smooth muscle and regulates its development. Modulation of miR-145 levels results in gut smooth muscle and epithelium maturation defects. Loss of miR-145 results in defects of smooth muscle function as measured by decreased nitric oxide production but also leads to increased expression of the embryonic smooth muscle markers sm22α-b, nm-mhc-b, and smoothelin. Defects in gut epithelial maturation are also present as observed by immature morphology and a complete loss of alkaline phosphatase expression. Loss or gain of miR-145 function phenocopies defects observed with altered gata6 expression and accordingly, we show that miR-145 directly represses gata6, and that gata6 is a major miR-145 target in vitro and in vivo. miR-145 therefore plays a critical role in promoting the maturation of both layers of the gut during development through regulation of gata6.

Diagnostic utility of antibody to smoothelin in the distinction of muscularis propria from muscularis mucosae of the urinary bladder: a potential ancillary tool in the pathologic staging of invasive urothelial carcinoma.

Abstract: Accurate recognition of urinary bladder muscularis propria (MP) invasion by urothelial carcinoma is crucial as it is the critical crossroad between conservative and aggressive management for the patient. It is now widely known that an inconsistent layer of muscularis mucosae (MM) muscle exists in the lamina propria, which can mimic the MP muscle, particularly when hyperplastic, making staging extremely challenging in some limited, unoriented, or highly cauterized specimens. Smoothelin is a novel smooth muscle-specific contractile protein expressed only by fully differentiated smooth muscle cells, and not by proliferative or noncontractile smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts. We performed immunohistochemical staining in the bladder for smoothelin to: (a) evaluate its expression in MM and MP muscle in cystectomy specimens and by comparing the staining pattern with smooth muscle actin (SMA), (b) study MP variations in the bladder trigone and at the ureteric insertion in the bladder wall, and (c) assess the staining pattern of MM and MP in a representative group of transurethral resection of bladder tumor specimens. In contrast to SMA, which equitably stained both types of muscle fibers, smoothelin displayed striking differential immunoreactivity between MM and MP muscle. With smoothelin, the MM muscle (including hyperplastic forms) typically showed absent (19/42, 45%) or weak and focal (18/42, 43%) staining, whereas the MP muscle typically showed strong and diffuse staining (36/42, 86%). Smoothelin accentuated individual muscle fibers within groups of MP bundles only, a feature which was evident in both MM and MP stained by SMA. When only strong and diffuse immunoreactivity in muscle was set as a threshold for positivity, 100% specificity and positive predictive value of smoothelin for MP (vs. MM) was achieved in our study. Smoothelin staining confirmed the morphologic variations in MP muscle in the bladder wall of the trigone and at the ureteric insertion. In addition to the well-defined muscle layers of MM and MP, SMA staining revealed a continuous band of ill-defined haphazardly oriented compact spindle cells that were immediately subjacent to the urothelium in all cases. These spindle cells blended with the morphologically recognizable thin slender fascicles of the MM muscle. We designate this hitherto uncharacterized thin layer of SMA-positive [muscle-specific actin positive (6/6), Masson trichrome stain predominantly blue (5/6)] and smoothelin-negative cells as suburothelial band of myofibroblasts. In all 10 transurethral resection of bladder tumor sections, smoothelin staining was in agreement with the routine light microscopic presence and absence of MP muscle. In conclusion, the relatively distinct immunohistochemical staining pattern of smoothelin between MP and MM (including its hyperplastic forms) makes it a robust and attractive marker to be incorporated in the contemporary diagnostic armamentarium for the sometimes difficult area of staging bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Thromboxane a(2) induces differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells to smooth muscle-like cells.

Abstract: Thromboxane A(2) (TxA(2)) is involved in smooth muscle contraction and atherosclerotic vascular diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests a pivotal role for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vascular remodeling. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that the TxA(2) mimetic U46619 induces differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived MSCs (hADSCs) to smooth muscle-like cells, as demonstrated by increased expression of smooth muscle-specific contractile proteins such as alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), calponin, smoothelin, and smooth muscle-myosin heavy chain. Using an in vitro collagen gel lattice contraction assay, we showed that U46619-induced expression of the contractile proteins was associated with increased contractility of the cells. U46619 increased the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in hADSCs and pretreatment of the cells with the thromboxane receptor antagonist SQ29548 or the calmodulin (CaM) inhibitor W13 abrogated the U46619-induced alpha-SMA expression and contractility, suggesting a pivotal role of Ca(2+)/CaM in the U46619-stimulated smooth muscle differentiation of hADSCs. In addition, U46619 elicited activation of RhoA in hADSCs, and pretreatment of the cells with the Rho kinase-specific inhibitor Y27632 or overexpression of the dominant-negative mutants of RhoA and Rho kinase blocked U46619-stimulated alpha-SMA expression and contractility. Furthermore, U46619 induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) through CaM/MLC kinase- and Rho kinase-dependent pathways, and the MLC kinase inhibitor ML-7 abrogated U46619-induced alpha-SMA expression and contractility. These results suggest that U46619 induces differentiation of hADSCs to contractile smooth muscle-like cells through CaM/MLCK- and RhoA-Rho kinase-dependent actin polymerization.

Smoothelin is a specific marker for smooth muscle neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract.

Abstract: Smoothelin is a smooth muscle-specific cytoskeletal protein exclusively found in differentiated smooth muscle cells. This contrasts with other smooth muscle proteins (eg, h-caldesmon, alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, smooth muscle myosin), which are expressed in proliferative (early) stages of smooth muscle development and occasionally in other cell types (striated muscle, myofibroblasts, myoepithelial cells, pericytes). Smoothelin has been shown to be expressed predominantly in visceral smooth muscle and to a lesser extent in vascular smooth muscle. Smoothelin expression in mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has not been evaluated earlier. The purpose of this study was to determine whether immunostaining for smoothelin could help distinguish smooth muscle neoplasms from their morphologic mimics, particularly KIT-negative gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), desmin-positive GISTs, and desmoid fibromatosis. A total of 150 mesenchymal neoplasms of the GI tract, abdominal cavity, and retroperitoneum were retrieved from consult and surgical pathology archives, including 54 GISTs (8 KIT-negative; 13 desmin-positive), 17 GI leiomyosarcomas (LMS), 11 GI mural leiomyomas, 13 leiomyomas of the muscularis mucosae, 12 gastric schwannomas, 15 inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, 9 cases of mesenteric desmoid fibromatosis, 10 dedifferentiated liposarcomas, and 9 malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Immunostaining for smoothelin was performed on all cases. Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining was recorded. Cytoplasmic expression of smoothelin was present in all 24 (100%) benign smooth muscle tumors (mural leiomyomas and leiomyomas of the muscularis mucosae). In contrast, only 4 (24%) GI LMS showed cytoplasmic staining for smoothelin. None of the GISTs, desmoid tumors, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, schwannomas, dedifferentiated liposarcomas, or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors showed cytoplasmic reactivity for smoothelin. Interestingly, 7 (41%) GI LMS and 12 (22%) GISTs (all except 2 with an epithelioid component) showed multifocal, exclusively nuclear staining for smoothelin. Nuclear expression of smoothelin was not detected in any of the other tumor types examined. In summary, diffuse cytoplasmic staining for smoothelin is highly sensitive and specific for benign leiomyomas of the GI tract. Aberrant nuclear expression is common in GI LMS and may also be seen in GISTs, especially epithelioid and mixed-type tumors. These findings suggest that the extent and pattern of smoothelin expression may help differentiate between benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract, and may be useful in distinguishing leiomyomas from KIT-negative and/or desmin-positive GISTs.