title: Inherited retinal degeneration: basic FGF induces phagocytic competence in cultured RPE cells from RCS rats.
abstract: In RCS rats, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is defective in phagocytosis of photoreceptor membranes. We have previously shown reduced expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the RPE of 7-10-day-old RCS rats. This study using primary RPE cultures from rats of this age demonstrates that the phagocytic defect in the mutant RPE can be overcome by treatment with bFGF, by a mechanism involving gene transcription and that normal RPE phagocytosis, also requiring transcription, is blocked by a bFGF neutralizing antibody. The combined data point to a role for bFGF in the normal mechanism of RPE phagocytosis and the RCS defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136, USA. glab@mednet.med.miami.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McLaren
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Inana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor