Fig. 1.

Cultured intestinal cells express phenotypic markers of intestinal myofibroblasts (MF). A: immunohistochemical staining for α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in murine small intestine and colon shows expression throughout the muscularis propria and in subepithelial MF in the lamina propria. B: Western blots of 20 μg of total cell lysates of intestinal MF cultures show expression of α-SMA and vimentin (Vim). Lanes 1 and 2 indicated 2 independently established MF cultures. C: immunofluorescent staining of cultured intestinal MF with an antibody to α-SMA.