title: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation of cultured brain cells. I. Enhancement of the developmental increase in glial enzymatic activity.
abstract: Serum-free aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon grown in the presence of 3 ng/ml (5 X 10(-10) M) epidermal growth factor (EGF) until day 12 showed 2- to 3-fold increased activities in the two glial enzymes, glutamine synthetase (GLU-S) and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase). This effect was concentration-dependent, with maximal stimulation in cultures treated daily with 3 ng/ml EGF. Addition of EGF during the first 10 culture days was sufficient to produce a maximal stimulation of both GLU-S and CNPase on day 19, whereas treatments starting on day 12 were ineffective. The stimulation of GLU-S preceded that of CNPase. The EGF-induced increase in GLU-S activity was not directly dependent on the presence of insulin, triiodothyronine, or hydrocortisone in the medium, whereas insulin was required for the stimulation of CNPase. A single dose of 5 ng/ml EGF on day 2 caused a slight but significant decrease in DNA synthesis after day 6. The present results indicate that in serum-free aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon EGF partially inhibits DNA synthesis, and stimulates an early step in glial differentiation.
mesh_terms: D063309:2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase; D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005333:Fetus; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000201:enzymology*; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D004247:DNA; D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D063309:2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase; C571339:Cnp protein, rat; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase