title: Immunohistochemical study of transforming growth factor-alpha expression in normal and perforated tympanic membrane.
abstract: An immunohistochemical study of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) distribution was carried out to clarify the mechanism responsible for accelerated epidermal cell proliferation after perforation of the rabbit tympanic membrane. In the normal tympanic membrane, TGF-alpha expression was not observed, whereas after perforation, over the whole tympanic membrane including the margin of the perforation, TGF-alpha-positive cells appeared and were scattered in the epidermal cell layer. After healing of the perforation, a marked decrease of TGF-alpha-positive cells in the tympanic membrane was observed. This finding suggests that TGF-alpha induces proliferation of epidermal cells after the perforation stimulus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koba
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawabata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002455:Cell Division; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha