Pericardial Fibroblasts (PF)

Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells which perform many vital functions during development and in adulthood. They are responsible for much of the synthesis of extracellular matrix in connective tissue and play major roles in wound healing. Many diseases are associated with fibroblasts, either because fibroblasts are implicated in their etiology or because of the fibrosis that accompanies damage to other cell types. Fibroblasts are one of the most accessible mammalian cell types and one of the easiest types of cells to grow in culture.

The pericardium is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels. The pericardial fibroblasts synthesized proteoglycans,  predominantly type I collagen and low amounts of type III collagen, which can be extracted from the intact tissue. Studies suggest that pericardial fibroblasts are the major cell types of the pericardial membrane, producing collagen, which helps to provide structural support, lubrication, and the prevention of excessive cardiac expansion.