spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Yang, Q. R.
Right arrow Articles by Vanden Berghe, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Yang, Q. R.
Right arrow Articles by Vanden Berghe, D.

Journal of Cell Science, Vol 104, Issue 1 211-218, Copyright © 1993 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Human retinal pigment epithelial cells from different donors continuously produce a vascular endothelial cell-stimulating factor into serum-free medium

QR Yang, RM Smets, A Neetens and D Vanden Berghe
Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, UIA, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

Mitogenic activities of human retinal pigment epithelial cell-conditioned medium (HRPE-CM) with different effects, such as inhibition, stimulation or no effect, on the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (EC) in vitro have been reported. In this study, 14 HRPE cell lines were established from normal human eyes. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in the early passages were used as target cells to detect the mitogenic activity of HRPE-CM on the growth of vascular EC. Our results confirm that HRPE cells in culture continuously synthesize and secrete HUVEC growth substance(s) into a serum-free medium. The ability of HRPE cell lines to produce this mitogen seem unrelated either to in vivo donor factors or to in vitro cell life span. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbance assay, we demonstrated that only HRPE cell extract, not HRPE-CM, can be recognized by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-specific antibody, though identical bioactivities on the growth of HUVEC were found in both preparations. The active component in HRPE-CM was heat- and trypsin-sensitive, and stable at extremes of pH (2.5 to 10.0). In addition, the bioactive molecule could not pass through a M(r) 30,000 cut-off membrane, suggesting that it is a fairly high molecular mass polypeptide. These observations suggest that the EC growth factor in HRPE-CM is distinct from fibroblast growth factors (FGFs).


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br. J. Ophthalmol.Home page
A C Browning, T Gray, and W M Amoaku
Isolation, culture, and characterisation of human macular inner choroidal microvascular endothelial cells
Br. J. Ophthalmol., October 1, 2005; 89(10): 1343 - 1347.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1993