J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2003 Aug;44(8):1895-1902.

The Metabolic and Morphological Effects of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-beta1 in Bovine Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

• Lee JS
• Lee JE
• Park HJ
• Oum BS

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the effects of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 on the cellular metabolic activity and morphological changes on retinal pigment epithelial cells that influence the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. METHODS: After bovine RPE cells were isolated, they were exposed to TGF-beta1 0.1 ng/ml, 0.4 ng/ml, 0.8 ng/ml, 1.6 ng/ml and DMEM that was used only as control. After 24 hours, MTT based colorimetric assay was performed to assess the inhibition of cellular proliferation, and the cellular morphology was evaluated by inverse phase-contrast light microscope and electron microscope. RESULTS: The higher the concentration of TGF-beta1 with fetal bovine serum, the more the inhibition of the cellular proliferation in bovine RPE cells, especially at the concentration of TGF-beta1 1.6 ng/ml (P<0.05). There was no relationship between the concentration of TGF-beta1 and the cellular metabolic activity in fetal bovine serum free (P>0.05). In TGF-beta1 10 ng/ml, the bovine retinal pigment epithelial cell showed a bundle of cytoplasmic microtendon, disposed parallel to the long axis of the cell and pinocytotic like vesicle. CONCLUSIONS: TGF-beta1 has a tendency of inhibitory effect in the cellular proliferation of bovine RPE cells. We confirmed that there were some characteristics of myofibroblast transformation from RPE treated with TGF-beta1 under TEM.

Keyword

Cellular proliferation; Myofibroblast; Retinal pigment epithelial cell; TGF-beta1

MeSH Terms

Axis, Cervical Vertebra
Cell Proliferation
Cytoplasm
Epithelial Cells*
Myofibroblasts
Retinaldehyde*
Transforming Growth Factor beta1
Transforming Growth Factors*
Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative
Retinaldehyde
Transforming Growth Factor beta1
Transforming Growth Factors