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Extracellular matrix proteins differentially regulate airway smooth muscle phenotype and function

Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University Centre for Pharmacy, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Submitted 28 August 2006 ; accepted in final form 8 February 2007

	ABSTRACT

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Changes in the ECM and increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass are major contributors to airway remodeling in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has recently been demonstrated that ECM proteins may differentially affect proliferation and expression of phenotypic markers of cultured ASM cells. In the present study, we investigated the functional relevance of ECM proteins in the modulation of ASM contractility using bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM) preparations. The results demonstrate that culturing of BSTM strips for 4 days in the presence of fibronectin or collagen I depressed maximal contraction (E_max) both for methacholine and KCl, which was associated with decreased contractile protein expression. By contrast, both fibronectin and collagen I increased proliferation of cultured BTSM cells. Similar effects were observed for PDGF. Moreover, PDGF augmented fibronectin- and collagen I-induced proliferation in an additive fashion, without an additional effect on contractility or contractile protein expression. The fibronectin-induced depression of contractility was blocked by the integrin antagonist Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) but not by its negative control Gly-Arg-Ala-Asp-Ser-Pro (GRADSP). Laminin, by itself, did not affect contractility or proliferation but reduced the effects of PDGF on these parameters. Strong relationships were found between the ECM-induced changes in E_max in BTSM strips and their proliferative responses in BSTM cells and for E_max and contractile protein expression. Our results indicate that ECM proteins differentially regulate both phenotype and function of intact ASM.

collagen; fibronectin; laminin; airway smooth muscle contractility; airway smooth muscle proliferation

Biopsy studies have revealed that both the quantity and the composition of the ECM are altered in the airways of chronic asthmatics. Deposition of collagen IV and elastin is decreased in the airway wall of asthmatic patients, whereas collagen I, III, and V, fibronectin, tenascin, hyaluran, versican, and laminin ₂/₂-chains are increased compared with healthy subjects (1, 15, 16, 24, 25).

Increased ASM mass within the airway wall is a characteristic feature of chronic asthma and may be one of the mechanisms associated with increased airway responsiveness and decline of lung function (4, 13, 26). Increased ASM cell mass is believed to involve both cellular hyperplasia and hypertrophy (6). Mechanisms involved in increased ASM growth in asthma are currently largely unknown; however, changes in the composition of the ECM proteins surrounding the ASM cell might well be involved (12).

In the airway wall of healthy subjects, the smooth muscle layer consists mainly of differentiated ASM cells, which are characterized by low proliferation rates, low fractions of biosynthetic organelles, and relatively high expression levels of contractile proteins, including smooth muscle -actin (sm--actin), calponin, and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (sm-MHC) (13). Importantly, in contrast to skeletal myocytes and cardiomyocytes (17, 19), ASM cells maintain the ability to reenter the cell cycle. Thus exposure to mitogenic stimuli (e.g., PDGF) results in the induction of a more proliferative/synthetic phenotype (13), which is accompanied by a loss of contractile responsiveness (8), presumably as a consequence of decreased contractile protein expression (13). Long-term serum deprivation results in the reinduction of a contractile phenotype, underlining the reversible nature of ASM phenotype (18). This phenotypic plasticity might be involved in growth and repair processes of inflamed airways and may contribute to airway remodeling in chronic asthma (12).

Using ASM cells in culture, it has recently been indicated that ECM proteins may differentially affect growth factor-induced phenotypic modulation. Thus, in human ASM cells cultured on fibronectin or collagen I matrixes, progression towards a proliferative phenotype, induced by either PDGF or -thrombin, was promoted, whereas culturing on a laminin or matrigel matrix inhibited phenotype switching by these mitogens (12). Enhancement of PDGF-dependent proliferation of human ASM cells on a fibronectin or collagen I matrix has been shown to be dependent on activation of ₂₁-, ₄₁-, and ₅₁-integrins (22). In vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells, expression of ₁₁- and ₇₁-integrins has been correlated with the differentiated smooth muscle phenotype (2, 30). Both integrins are capable of binding laminin, which has been implicated in maintaining contractile VSM phenotype (20).

At present, the functional significance of ASM phenotypic modulation by ECM proteins is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effects of exogenously applied fibronectin, collagen I, and laminin on bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM) strip contractility in relation to the proliferative response of BTSM cells under these conditions.

Our results indicated that fibronectin and collagen I induce a less contractile BTSM phenotype, whereas laminin maintains contractility. However, laminin attenuates the suppressive effects of PDGF on contractility as well as PDGF-induced DNA synthesis. Our results demonstrate for the first time a differential effect of ECM proteins on both phenotype and contractile function of intact ASM.

	MATERIALS AND METHODS

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Tissue preparation and organ culture procedure. Bovine tracheae were obtained from local slaughterhouses and rapidly transported to the laboratory in ice-cold Krebs-Henseleit (KH) buffer of the following composition (mM): 117.5 NaCl, 5.60 KCl, 1.18 MgSO₄, 2.50 CaCl₂, 1.28 NaH₂PO₄, 25.00 NaHCO₃, and 5.50 glucose, pregassed with 5% CO₂ and 95% O₂, pH 7.4. After dissection of the smooth muscle layer and careful removal of mucosa and connective tissue, tracheal smooth muscle strips were prepared while incubated in gassed KH buffer at room temperature (RT). Care was taken to cut tissue strips of macroscopically identical length (1 cm) and width (2 mm). Tissue strips were washed once in Medium Zero [sterile DMEM (GIBCO BRL Life Technologies, Paisley, UK) supplemented with sodium pyruvate (1 mM, GIBCO), nonessential amino acid mixture (1:100, GIBCO), gentamicin (45 µg/ml, GIBCO), penicillin (100 U/ml, GIBCO), streptomycin (100 µg/ml, GIBCO), amphotericin B (1.5 µg/ml, Fungizone, GIBCO), apo-transferrin (5 µg/ml, human, Sigma Chemical, St. Louis, MO), and ascorbic acid (100 µM, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany)]. Next, tissue strips were transferred into suspension culture flasks, and a volume of 7.5 ml of Medium Zero was added per tissue strip. Strips were maintained in culture in an Innova 4000 incubator shaker (37°C, 55 rpm) under tightly controlled conditions for 4 days. To avoid direct influences of mechanical plasticity during this culture, strips were maintained under unloaded conditions.

When used, collagen I (50 µg/ml, monomeric, calf skin; Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland), fibronectin (10 µg/ml, bovine plasma; Sigma), Engelberth-Holm-Sarcoma laminin consisting of laminin-1 (27) (4 µg/ml; Invitrogen, Grand Island, NY), PDGF-AB (10 ng/ml, human; Bachem, Weil am Rhein, Germany), Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS, 0.1 mM; Calbiochem, Nottingham, UK), and/or Gly-Arg-Ala-Asp-Ser-Pro (GRADSP, 0.1 mM; Calbiochem) were present during the entire incubation period. Occasionally, some strips were used for isometric tension measurements directly after preparation.

Isometric tension measurements. Tissue strips, collected from the suspension culture flasks, were washed with several volumes of KH buffer pregassed with 5% CO₂ and 95% O₂, pH 7.4, at 37°C. Subsequently, strips were mounted for isometric recording (Grass force-displacement transducer FT03) in 20-ml water-jacked organ baths containing KH buffer at 37°C, continuously gassed with 5% CO₂ and 95% O₂, pH 7.4. During a 90-min equilibration period, with washouts every 30 min, resting tension was gradually adjusted to 3 g. Subsequently, muscle strips were precontracted with 20 and 40 mM isotonic KCl solutions. Following two washouts, maximal relaxation was established by the addition of 0.1 µM (-)-isoproterenol (Sigma). In most of the experiments, no basal myogenic tone was detected. Tension was readjusted to 3 g, immediately followed by two changes with fresh KH buffer. After another equilibration period of 30 min, cumulative concentration response curves were constructed to stepwise increasing concentrations of isotonic KCl (5.6–50 mM) or methacholine (1 nM–100 µM; ICN Biomedicals, Costa Mesa, CA). When maximal tension was obtained, the strips were washed several times, and maximal relaxation was established using (-)-isoproterenol.

Isolation of BTSM cells. After the removal of mucosa and connective tissue, tracheal smooth muscle was chopped using a McIlwain tissue chopper, three times at a setting of 500 µm and three times at a setting of 100 µm. Tissue particles were washed two times with Medium Plus [DMEM supplemented with sodium pyruvate (1 mM), nonessential amino acid mixture (1:100), gentamicin (45 µg/ml), penicillin (100 U/ml), streptomycin (100 µg/ml), amphotericin B (1.5 µg/ml), and FBS (0.5%, GIBCO)]. Enzymatic digestion was performed in Medium Plus supplemented with collagenase P (0.75 mg/ml; Boehringer, Mannheim, Germany), papain (1 mg/ml, Boehringer), and soybean trypsin inhibitor (1 mg/ml, Sigma). During digestion, the suspension was incubated in an incubator shaker (Innova 4000) at 37°C, 55 rpm for 20 min, followed by a 10-min period of shaking at 70 rpm. After filtration of the obtained suspension over a 50-µm gauze, cells were washed three times in Medium Plus, supplemented with 10% FBS instead of 0.5% FBS.

Coating of culture plates with ECM proteins. Calf skin collagen I was reconstituted in 10 mM hydrochloric acid at 5 mg/ml before diluting. Bovine plasma fibronectin was reconstituted in sterile PBS (composition in mM): 140.0 NaCl, 2.6 KCl, 1.4 KH₂PO₄, 8.1 Na₂HPO₄.2H₂O, pH 7.4. Dilutions of collagen I, fibronectin, and mouse laminin were prepared in PBS. Diluted ECM proteins (0.5 ml) were absorbed to 24-well cluster plates overnight and air-dried at RT. Unoccupied protein-binding sites were blocked by a 30-min incubation with a sterile 0.1% BSA (Sigma) solution. Subsequently, plates were washed twice with Medium Zero and dried before further use.

[³H]thymidine incorporation. BTSM cells were plated on uncoated or ECM-coated 24-well cluster plates at a density of 50,000 cells/well immediately after isolation and were allowed to attach overnight in Medium Plus containing 10% FBS. Cells were washed twice with sterile PBS and made quiescent by incubation in Medium Zero supplemented with apo-transferrin (5 µg/ml), ascorbic acid (100 µM), and insulin (1 µM, bovine pancreas, Sigma) for 72 h. Cells were then washed with PBS and incubated with or without PDGF in Medium Zero for 28 h, the last 24 h in the presence of [methyl-³H]thymidine (0.25 µCi/ml; Amersham, Buckinghamshire, UK). After incubation, the cells were washed twice with 0.5 ml of PBS at RT. Subsequently, the cells were treated with 0.5 ml of ice-cold 5% trichloroacetic acid on ice for 30 min, and the acid-insoluble fraction was dissolved in 1 ml of NaOH (1 M). Incorporated [³H]thymidine was quantified by liquid scintillation counting using a Beckman LS1701 -counter.

MTT assay. BTSM cells were plated as described for the [³H]thymidine incorporation protocol. Following quiescence, cells were incubated with vehicle or PDGF for 3 days, after which cell number was estimated using the mitochondria-dependent reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT; Sigma) to formazan. Briefly, cells were washed twice with Medium Zero after which 200 µl of medium containing 0.5 mg/ml MTT was added to each well. After 5 h, 200 µl of 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate in 0.01 N HCl was added, and the cells were solubilized overnight at 37°C. The amount of formazan in the obtained solution was estimated by measuring optical density at a test wavelength of 550 nm and a reference wavelength of 655 nm.

Western blot analysis of contractile protein expression. After culturing the tissue strips as described above, homogenates were prepared by pulverizing the tissue under liquid nitrogen, followed by sonification in homogenization buffer [composition in mM: 50 mM Tris·HCl, 150.0 NaCl, 1.0 EDTA, 1.0 PMSF, 1.0 Na₃VO₄, 1.0 NaF, pH 7.4, supplemented with 10 µg/ml leupeptin (Sigma), 10 µg/ml aprotinin (Sigma), 10 µg/ml pepstatin (Sigma), 0.25% sodium deoxycholate (Sigma), and 1% Igepal (Nonidet P-40, Sigma)]. Homogenates were stored at –80°C until further use. Protein content was determined according to Bradford (5). In total, 30 µg of protein per lane was separated by SDS/PAGE using 6% polyacrylamide gels for smooth muscle myosin (sm-myosin) or 10% polyacrylamide gels for -actin, sm--actin, and calponin. Proteins in the gel were then transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes, which were subsequently blocked in blocking buffer (composition: 50.0 mM Tris·HCl, 150.0 mM NaCl, 0.1% Tween 20, 5% dried milk powder) for 90 min at RT. Next, membranes were incubated overnight at 4°C with primary antibodies [anti-sm-myosin (Neomarkers, Fremont, CA) and anti-sm--actin (Sigma), both diluted 1:200, anti--actin (Sigma) diluted 1:2,000, and calponin (Neomarkers) diluted 1:400, all dilutions in blocking buffer]. Membranes were incubated with antibodies for -actin to normalize for equal loading of all samples. After three washes of 10 min each, membranes were incubated with horseradish peroxidase-labeled secondary antibodies (dilution 1:3,000 in blocking buffer) at RT for 90 min, followed by another three washes. Antibodies were then visualized by enhanced chemiluminescence. Blots were analyzed by densitometry (Totallab). All bands were normalized to -actin expression. ECM-induced changes in protein abundance were expressed as a percentage of vehicle-treated controls run on the same gels.

Data analysis. Data represent means ± SE or SD, from n separate experiments. Statistical significance of differences was evaluated by the Student's t-test for paired observations or one-way ANOVA, as appropriate. Differences were considered to be statistically significant when P < 0.05.

	RESULTS

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Effect of organ culturing on BTSM strip contractility and contractile protein expression. Maximal methacholine- and KCl-induced contractile force (E_max) of BTSM strips, cultured for 4 days in Medium Zero, was maintained compared with freshly isolated BTSM strips (Fig. 1, A and B). No changes in sensitivity were observed for methacholine [negative logarithm of the EC₅₀ value (pEC₅₀) = 6.99 ± 0.17] or KCl (EC₅₀ = 26.5 ± 1.0).

View larger version (23K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Concentration-response curves of methacholine- (A) and KCl-induced (B) contraction of freshly isolated and 4-day organ-cultured bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM) strips. Data represent means ± SE of 3 experiments. C: Western blot analysis of protein expression in fresh and organ-cultured BTSM strips. Representative immunoblots of smooth muscle myosin (sm-myosin) and -actin are shown.

Effects of pretreatment with ECM proteins on BTSM strip contractility. In BTSM strips cultured for 4 days in the presence of fibronectin (10 µg/ml) or collagen I (50 µg/ml), maximal methacholine-induced contractile force was significantly reduced compared with strips cultured in the absence of these ECM proteins (Fig. 2, A and B, Table 1). The suppressive effects on E_max were quantitatively similar to the effects observed after pretreatment with PDGF (10 ng/ml). Combined pretreatment of the strips with the ECM proteins (fibronectin and collagen I) and PDGF did not further affect maximal contraction. Unlike fibronectin and collagen I, pretreatment with laminin (4 µg/ml) did not affect E_max of methacholine. Interestingly, however, coincubation with laminin fully reversed the suppressive effects of PDGF on E_max (Fig. 2C, Table 1). Similar effects of ECM proteins and PDGF were obtained for KCl-induced contractions (Fig. 3, Table 1).

View larger version (13K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Concentration-response curves of methacholine-induced contraction of BTSM strips pretreated with fibronectin (A; 10 µg/ml), collagen I (B; 50 µg/ml), or laminin (C; 4 µg/ml) in the absence or presence of PDGF (10 ng/ml) for 4 days. Data represent means ± SE of 6–7 experiments.

View larger version (12K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Concentration-response curves of KCl-induced contraction of BTSM strips pretreated with fibronectin (A; 10 µg/ml), collagen I (B; 50 µg/ml), or laminin (C; 4 µg/ml) in the absence or presence of PDGF (10 ng/ml) for 4 days. Data represent means ± SE of 6–7 experiments.

View larger version (15K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Concentration-response curves of methacholine- (A) and KCl-induced (B) contraction of BTSM strips pretreated with fibronectin (10 µg/ml) in the absence or presence of Arg-Gly-Asp-(RGD; 0.1 mM)- or Arg-Ala-Asp-(RAD; 0.1 mM)-containing peptides for 4 days. Data represent means ± SE of 4–5 experiments.

It could be envisaged that pretreatment of strips with ECM proteins affect contractility by altering smooth muscle stiffness. To address this issue, BTSM strips were incubated with vehicle and collagen I (50 µg/ml)-containing media for 4 days. After this incubation period, strip length and width were assessed just before mounting and at a resting tension of 3 g. No differences between vehicle and collagen I-pretreated strips were found for both parameters (Table 2).

In BTSM cells, basal DNA synthesis was increased by 1.7-fold in cells grown on fibronectin (10 µg/ml) and by 2.5-fold in cells grown on collagen I (50 µg/ml) matrixes compared with cells grown on plastic (control; Fig. 5, top). Under control conditions, PDGF significantly augmented DNA synthesis by 2.5-fold (Fig. 5, top). This response was significantly enhanced in an additive fashion, when cells were grown on a fibronectin or collagen I matrix. In contrast, cells attached to a laminin matrix (4 µg/ml) did not show a significant change in basal DNA synthesis. Growing BTSM cells on laminin, however, resulted in a significant reduction of the PDGF-induced proliferative response, to 0.6-fold of PDGF-induced proliferation in cells grown on plastic (Fig. 5, top).

View larger version (21K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Effects of fibronectin (10 µg/ml), collagen I (50 µg/ml), and laminin (4 µg/ml) matrixes on basal (black bars) and PDGF (10 ng/ml)-stimulated (gray bars) BTSM cell DNA synthesis (top) and BTSM cell number (bottom). Data represent means ± SE of 3–5 experiments, each performed in triplicate. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 compared with basal controls. #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01 compared with PDGF control. P < 0.05, P < 0.01 compared with ECM protein in the absence of PDGF.

Relationship between ECM-induced changes in contractility and proliferation. It has been previously established that growth factor-induced changes in maximal contractility of BTSM strips are inversely correlated with changes in the proliferative response of isolated BTSM cells (8). As illustrated by Fig. 6, a qualitatively similar relationship exists between the effects of the applied ECM proteins on proliferative potency, as assessed by [³H]thymidine incorporation in isolated BTSM cells, and the effects on E_max of methacholine- and KCl-induced contraction of BTSM strips.

View larger version (10K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Relationships between maximal contraction (Emax) of BTSM strips in response to methacholine (A) or KCl (B) and DNA synthesis of BTSM cells in the presence of laminin (1), vehicle (2), fibronectin (3), or collagen I (4). Data represent means from 5–7 experiments.

View larger version (45K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 7. Western blot analysis of protein expression in BTSM strips pretreated with vehicle (control), collagen I (50 µg/ml), fibronectin (10 µg/ml), and laminin (4 µg/ml), in the absence or presence of PDGF (10 ng/ml). Representative immunoblots of sm-myosin, calponin, smooth muscle -actin (sm--actin), and -actin are shown.

View larger version (9K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 8. Relationships between maximal contraction (Emax) of BTSM strips in response to methacholine (A) or KCl (B) and sm-myosin expression in the presence of laminin (1), vehicle (2), fibronectin (3), or collagen I (4). Data represent means from 3–7 experiments.

	DISCUSSION

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In accordance with previous findings (8, 9), 4 days of incubation with PDGF also induced a hypocontractile phenotype. No additive effects of combined pretreatment with the growth factor and fibronectin or collagen I were found on maximal contractility. Interestingly, although laminin had no effect on BTSM contractility, coincubation with PDGF fully normalized the suppressive effects of the growth factor on E_max, indicating that laminin may be involved in maintaining a (normo)contractile phenotype. It remains to be determined, however, to what extent the ECM proteins penetrate the tissue and to what extent the observed effects of the ECM proteins represent their maximal effect.

Both in vascular (11, 29) and in ASM (3, 12) cells, it has been demonstrated that ECM proteins are capable of differentially influencing the mitogenic capacity of a variety of growth factors, including PDGF, -thrombin, and basic fibroblast growth factor. In human ASM cells, Hirst et al. (12) showed that mitogen-stimulated, but not basal, proliferation was significantly enhanced after culturing on a collagen I or fibronectin matrix, whereas mitogen-induced proliferation was reduced on laminin-precoated plates (12). Accordingly, we found that culturing BTSM cells on a fibronectin or collagen I matrix significantly augmented proliferation induced by PDGF. Moreover, basal DNA synthesis and cell number were also significantly increased by these ECM proteins, which is in agreement with previous findings showing that proliferation of bovine ASM cells was increased on a collagen type I matrix compared with cells grown on a laminin matrix (3). As the enhancement of the PDGF-induced proliferative effects by a fibronectin or collagen I matrix was additive, it can be envisaged that these matrix proteins and PDGF regulate mitogenesis through distinct rather than common pathways. However, little is known about the pathways involved in these processes, which warrants further investigation.

Laminin, by itself, had no effect on DNA synthesis, whereas cell number, as assessed by formazan accumulation, was slightly increased. A possible explanation for this apparent discrepancy might be the antiapoptotic potency of laminin as observed in human ASM cells (7). This may result in a preservation of the number of viable cells without increasing DNA synthesis. In agreement with previous studies, we found that laminin reduced proliferation induced by PDGF (12). Also, in porcine coronary artery smooth muscle cells, it has been shown that proliferation in response to growth factors was more pronounced in cells grown on fibronectin than on laminin (21). PDGF-mediated activation of ERK1/2 in these cells was not dependent on the matrix present, whereas activation of FAK was more pronounced on a fibronectin matrix (21). Those findings indicate a pivotal role for ECM in controlling intracellular signaling.

Modulation towards a less contractile ASM phenotype is accompanied by a reduced expression of contractile proteins, including sm-MHC, calponin, and sm--actin (10, 28). Since prolonged (4 days) culturing in the presence of fibronectin or collagen I induced a decline in maximal contraction both in response to a receptor-dependent (methacholine) and a receptor-independent (KCl) stimulus, post-receptor events, such as alterations in contractile protein expression, are likely to contribute to the observed changes in contractility. Therefore, we assessed the expression of sm-myosin, calponin, and sm--actin in homogenates prepared from BTSM strips treated with vehicle, collagen I, fibronectin, or laminin in the absence or presence of PDGF for 4 days. In accordance with our previous (8, 9) and current observations that PDGF induces a shift towards a more proliferative (hypocontractile) phenotype, the growth factor reduced the expression of all contractile markers studied. Incubation with fibronectin or collagen I resulted in a reduction of contractile protein expression as well, which was both quantitatively and qualitatively similar to that induced by PDGF. These observations, along with the fact that 4 days of organ culturing by itself did not affect sm-myosin expression, confirm the assumption that pretreatment with fibronectin or collagen I, in the absence or presence of PDGF, induces a functional hypocontractile phenotype by reducing contractile protein expression. Similar to the effects of combined treatment on E_max, no additional effects were observed on the level of contractile protein expression, indicating that changes in E_max and contractile protein expression are tightly correlated.

In contrast, laminin markedly increased sm-myosin and calponin expression, whereas it did not affect sm--actin protein levels. This might be explained, however, by the fact that sm-myosin and calponin are considered to be more specific markers for mature contractile ASM cells compared with sm--actin, which is a more general marker for lung cells of mesenchymal origin (10). These results suggest that an increase in contractility in the presence of laminin can be envisaged. Indeed, a tendency toward an increased contractility in response to both methacholine and KCl was observed. Moreover, a direct relationship between contractility and contractile protein expression in the presence of different matrix proteins was confirmed by the significant correlation between these two parameters for all contractile proteins.

In human ASM cells, it has been shown by immunocytochemical detection that laminin, by itself, did not affect expression of contractile proteins at all, but normalized the reduction induced by PDGF (12). In the present study, laminin did not completely reverse the effects of PDGF on contractile protein expression, but showed a tendency to attenuate the growth factor-induced suppression to some extent. This may indicate that other factors are involved in the reversal of PDGF-induced hypocontractility. The apparent discrepancy between our findings and those by Hirst et al. (12) could possibly be explained by differences in experimental approach. Thus, we determined protein expression in smooth muscle strips, not cultured cells. In addition, species differences cannot be ruled out. Also, homogeneity of contractile protein expression throughout the tissue might possibly represent another variable.

It has been established that there is a strong inverse relationship between the effects of peptide growth factors on maximal methacholine- and KCl-induced contraction of BTSM strips and the proliferative response of BTSM cells to these growth factors (8). In the present study, we found a strong correlation between the degree of change of E_max, both with methacholine and KCl, induced by the applied ECM proteins in BTSM strips and the proliferative response by BTSM cells cultured on these proteins. Although determined using different experimental parameters measured in different (ASM tissue and cellular) conditions, this correlation was very striking and highly reminiscent of our previous findings (8). Together with the relationship between contractile protein expression and contractility found for the applied ECM proteins, these results indicate that ECM proteins are importantly involved in the regulation of ASM phenotype and function.

In conclusion, our results indicate that ECM proteins differentially regulate BTSM phenotype and function. Fibronectin and collagen type I induce a (functional) hypocontractile phenotype, associated with an increased proliferative response of BTSM cells, whereas laminin inhibits growth factor-induced proliferation and supports a more contractile phenotype. These findings implicate a critical role of ECM changes (1, 15, 16, 24, 25) in altered ASM function in asthma.

	GRANTS

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This study was financially supported by the Netherlands Asthma Foundation Grants 03.36 (to B. G. J. Dekkers).

	ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 
We thank Dirk Jan Moes, Hoeke A. Baarsma, and Anita I. R. Spanjer for expert technical assistance.

	FOOTNOTES

 

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: B. G. J. Dekkers, Dept. of Molecular Pharmacology, Univ. of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands (e-mail: B.G.J.Dekkers{at}rug.nl)

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

^* B. G. J. Dekkers and D. Schaafsma contributed equally to this work.

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