title: ARPE-19 cell growth and cell functions in euglycemic culture media.
abstract: Human retinal pigmented epithelial cells (ARPE-19) grown in euglycemic media (5.5 mM) had lower cell number, significantly different cell morphology, and lower levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the culture media than those grown in hyperglycemic media (18 mM) customarily used for culturing ARPE-19 cells. Although it has been shown that within a 24-hour period, all-trans retinoic acid significantly reduces VEGF secretion by retinal pigmented epithelial cells (grown in 18 mM glucose), such an inhibitory effect was not observed in cells grown in 5.5 mM glucose. Our results suggest that ARPE-19 cells grown in euglycemic media exhibit distinctly different cell growth, cell differentiation, and cell functions in comparison to cells grown in hyperglycemic media. Because euglycemic conditions provide a physiological glucose environment, this glucose concentration must be included in all future investigations of the mechanism of diabetic retinopathy when studying VEGF secretion by ARPE-19 cells.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ernest G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Heimsath
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Unda
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vidro
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muniz
authors.forename: Elia T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Villazana-Espinoza
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsin
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014212:Tretinoin; D005947:Glucose