title: Pigment epithelium-derived factor is a survival factor for cerebellar granule cells in culture.
abstract: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), purified from human fetal retinal pigment epithelium cell culture medium, was shown to potentiate the differentiation of human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells. To investigate potential neurotrophic effects of PEDF on neurons other than those of retinal derivation, we used cultures of cerebellar granule cells. The number of cerebellar granule cells was significantly larger in the presence of PEDF, as demonstrated by an assay for viable cells that uses 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3- carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt, conversion, by cell count, and by immunocytochemistry. The effect of PEDF showed a dose-response relationship, with a larger effect in chemically defined medium than in serum-containing medium [ED50 = 30 ng/ml (0.70 nM) in chemically defined medium and 100 ng/ml (2.3 nM) in serum-containing medium]. PEDF had no effect on incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (cell proliferation) or on neurofilament content (neurite outgrowth) measured by an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay. These results demonstrate that PEDF has a neurotrophic survival effect on cerebellar granule cells in culture and suggest the possibility that it may affect other CNS neurons as well.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0925, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniwaki
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chader
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005136:Eye Proteins; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015843:Serpins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor