Effect of Eye-Derived Growth Factors from Rabbit Retina on Proliferation of Endothelial Cell from Marginal Vessels

OKAMOTO, T., OIKAWA, S. and TOYOTA, T. Effect of Eye-Derived Growth Factors from Rabbit Retina on Proliferation of Endothelial Cell from Marginal Vessels. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1989, 157 (4), 313-324- The biological activity of eye-derived growth factor(s) (EDGF) was studied in endothelial cells and other cell types. The endothelial cells of rabbit ears were aseptically collected from marginal vessels in a short time without contamination with other cell types. The cells were cultured in 10% FBS-MEM that possessed Factor VIII antigen and Weibel-Palade bodies, and showed monolayer cobble-stone formation. The retinal extracts from rabbits promoted not only endothelial cells but also fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Partially purified EDGF was obtained from retinal extracts by means of acetone precipitation and successive chromatographic separation with Heparin Sepharose and Sephadex G-200. The molecular weight was estimated at more than 150kDa by gel filtration. The partially purified EDGF promoted proliferation of endothelial cells from rabbit ear marginal promoted vessels and bovine aorta, but did not affect smooth muscle cells, skin fibroblasts and Swiss albino 3T3 cells. Thus rabbit EDGF might be cell specificity in stimulating cell proliferation.