title: TGF-beta 2 increases alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2) induces the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA), a biochemical marker of myofibroblasts, in cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bovine RPE cells were cultured in F-12 nutrient mixture supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), with or without TGF-beta 2 (0.01-10 ng/ml) for 6 days. During this culture period, cells did not reach a confluence. Alpha-SMA was detected immunocytochemically with a mouse monoclonal antibody, and the ratio of the number of alpha-SMA positive cells to the total number of cells was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 10% of the cells in control cultures with only FBS were positive for alpha-SMA. TGF-beta 2 increased the ratio of positive cells dose-dependently (p < 0.0001), while a neutralizing antibody against TGF-beta 2 blocked this effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGF-beta 2 induced expression of alpha-SMA in bovine RPE cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muraki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katsura
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta