[The inhibiting effects of suramin on bFGF induced proliferation of cultured human RPE cells].
OBJECTIVE
To study the inhibiting effects of suramin on FGF induced proliferation of cultured RPE cells and discuss the effects and mechanisms of suramin in the prevention of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).


METHODS
Human RPE cells at passage 6 were seeded into 96-well plates. In the 5 control groups, different concentrations of bFGF (1, 10, 100 and 500 ng/ml) or suramin (31.25 microg/ml) were added into the culture medium. In the 4 treatment groups, 31.25 microg/ml suramin with different concentrations of bFGF (1, 10, 100 and 500 ng/ml) were added to the medium. The blank group was incubated with serum-free DMEM only. After incubated for 48 hours, the proliferation of cells in all groups was measured by the MTT assay and expressed as light absorption values. The separate and combine effects of suramin and bFGF were analysed.


RESULTS
Under the phase-contrast microscope, no changes of cell morphology could be detected between various groups. Suramin showed an inhibitory effects on bFGF induced proliferation of RPE cells (F=6.73, P < 0.01). Light absorption value (A value) in bFGF-treated control groups was higher than that of the blank group and reached to the peak in cells treated with 10 ng/ml of bFGF; with no further increase in cells treated with higher levels of bFGF. The A value in suramin-treated control group was lower than that of the blank group. The A-value in all treated groups was lower than that of the control groups treated with various concentrations of bFGF. In the treated group, the highest A value was detected in cells treated with 100 ng/ml bFGF. With further increase of bFGF concentration to 500 ng/ml, the A-value was not statistically different from that of cells treated with 100 ng/ml bFGF.


CONCLUSIONS
Suramin can inhibit the bFGF induced proliferation of RPE cells. The mechanisms of the effects of suramin in the inhibition of proliferation of RPE cells and in the prevention of PVR at least partly due to its competition effects with the growth factors.
Zhu
Xiao-bo
XB
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Tang
Shi-bo
SB
Luo
Yan
Y
Huang
Xiang-kun
XK
D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018630:Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative / Q000517:prevention & control
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D013498:Suramin