[Effect of neurotrophic factors and growth factors on adult human retinal cells in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether adult human retinal cells can be maintained in vitro over long time periods and to study the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and retinoic acid (RA) on growth, proliferation, and apoptosis of the cultured adult human retinal cells.


METHODS
Adult retinal cells were isolated from donor eyes and cultured. BDNF, NT-4, EGF, FGF, and RA were added individually to the cultures. The cells were identified by morphologic criteria, growth patterns, and immunocytochemical staining. The number of neurons in each group was compared. Expression levels of c-fos, c-jun, Bcl-2, and Bax were examined.


RESULTS
Adult human retinal cells survived for 240 days in vitro. The addition of BDNF and FGF promoted survival of adult retinal neurons, increased the number of cells positive for neuron specific enzyme (NSE), Thy1.1, c-fos, c-jun, and Bcl-2. More c-fos and c-jun positive cells were observed in cell cultures containing medium with RA. However, NT-4 and EGF treatment groups showed no significant difference from control groups in that neuron cell survival was low and fewer cells were positive for NSE, Thy1.1, c-fos, c-jun, and Bcl-2.


CONCLUSIONS
BDNF, FGF and RA improve survival of adult human retinal neurons in vitro via a mechanism that may involve c-fos, c-jun, and Bcl-2 expression, However, EGF and NT-4 do not improve survival of the adult human retinal neurons.
Liu
Wen-wen
WW
Central Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Shanghai. Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
Xu
Ping
P
Huang
Qian
Q
D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000032:analysis; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D014212:Tretinoin; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; C073922:neurotrophin 4