Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF/SF) receptor, c-met, regulates motility, mitogenesis, and morphogenesis in a cell type dependent fashion. We report the role of stress-induced HGF receptor in the human retinal pigment epithelial cell (hRPE) line ARPE-19. Methods: RPE cells cultured under common or serum-free conditions. Southern and Western blot analyses were performed to determine the expression patterns of HGF/SF and its receptor in cultured hRPE and serum-starved ARPE-19 cells. The proliferation pattern by c-met in serum-starved ARPE-19 was analyzed using neutralizing monoclonal antibody (2ug/ml). Results: In primary cultured human RPE cells, c-met was expressed progressively from early culture passage. HGF was expressed only at late culture passage (p10). In ARPE-19, c-met was expressed only in serum-starved condition. Neutralizing antibody to c-met inhibited the proliferation of serum-deprived ARPE-19 by 64.5% (n=9, S.D. 5.5%). Conclusion: We suggest that c-met induced under non-physiologic conditions seems to have significant effect on RPE cell proliferation.
Keywords: 567 retinal pigment epithelium • 523 proliferation • 541 receptors: pharmacology/physiology