Smooth muscle is responsible for the contractility of hollow organs, such as blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, the bladder, and the uterus. Its structure differs greatly from that of skeletal muscle. The human stomach contains three layers of muscle in its walls, the outer longitudinal, the middle circular and the inner oblique and visceral smooth muscle cells makes up all three layers along the entire organ. Smooth muscle contraction is critical to peristalsis in the human stomach and the contraction may be mediated by activation of phospholipase through two distinct mechanisms (increased intracellular Ca2+ and G protein activation) and activating PKCepsilon-dependent mechanisms. In vitro study also shows that gastric smooth muscle cells express ET and eNOS and both calcium and sodium may be involved as current carriers in the generation of the plateau potential.HGSMC from AcceGen Research Laboratories are isolated from the human stomach. HGSMC are cryopreserved at secondary culture and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5×10^5 cells in 1 ml volume. HGSMC are characterized by immunofluorescent method with antibodies to Α-smooth muscle actin and desmin. HGSMC are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi. HGSMC are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings at the condition provided by AcceGen Research Laboratories.
