Human Rectal Smooth Muscle Cells

Smooth muscle contraction is the fundamental event in gastrointestinal motion. Inflammation of the human intestine causes increased levels of smooth muscle-specific actin, which in turn promotes the thickening of the smooth muscle layers. The increased smooth muscle actin may affect force production and further demonstrates the plasticity of smooth muscle cells in the inflamed intestine. Studies also show that human intestinal smooth muscle cells respond to IL-1beta and TNFalpha stimulation by releasing IL-6, which may significantly contribute to the overall systemic inflammatory response. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control colorectal smooth muscle tone is essential for the treatment of colorectal disorders. The availability of human rectal smooth muscle cells makes it more feasible to study the contractile and proliferative tissue responses of smooth muscle in human colorectal disorders.

HRecSMC from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from the human rectum. HRecSMC are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10⁵ cells in 1 ml volume. HRecSMC are characterized by immunofluorescence with antibodies specific to α-smooth muscle actin. HRecSMC are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi. HRecSMC are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories.

Recommended Medium

It is recommended to use Smooth Muscle Cell Medium (SMCM, Cat. #1101) for culturing HRecSMC in vitro.