title: Effects of basic fibroblast growth factor on biological characteristics of osteoblasts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the effects of exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on biological characteristics of rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The osteoblasts isolated from a Sprague-Dawley rat and cultured in vitro were treated with different concentrations of bFGF (5-50 ng/ml) respectively. At 24 hours after treatment, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen was measured with immunocytochemistry, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined and the expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta(1)) was detected to observe the effects of bFGF on growth and differentiation of osteoblasts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  bFGF (5-50 ng/ml) could obviously promote the growth of osteoblasts. The intracellular expression of TGF-beta(1) mRNA increased significantly, but the intracellular ALP content decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  bFGF can obviously stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts and promote the synthesis of TGF-beta(1), but cannot promote the differentiation of osteoblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Shenzhen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University, Shenzhen 518036, China. zenghui_36@163.com
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jing-yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Qi-xin
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: De-yu
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ao
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Guo-ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase