The effects of basic fibroblast growth factor on bovine retinal pigment epithelium in vitro

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been reported to initiate DNA synthesis in a variety of cells involved in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinal disorders, e.g., glial cells and fibroblasts. We analyzed the mitogenic effects of bFGF on cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells in relation to time and dose response regulations and culture conditions. Maximum stimulatory effect of bFGF (+70% compared to control group) was found on day 3 following treatment of cultures with 80 ng/ml bFGF. The action of bFGF seems to depend on the serum concentration in the culture media, which means that cofactors may be present in the serum and potentiate the effects of bFGF on cell proliferation.