Induction of fibroblast growth factor-2 by electrical stimulation in cultured retinal Mueller cells

It has been demonstrated that retinal Mueller cells, the predominant glial cells, produce neurotrophic factors including basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), and that electrical stimulation enhances the transcription of FGF-2 in the central nervous system. In this study, the effect of electrical stimulation on the induction of FGF-2 in cultured rat Mueller cells was investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Both the messenger RNA and protein of FGF-2 were significantly upregulated after electrical stimulation compared with that of controls. These results suggest that electrical stimulation may directly induce the production of FGF-2 in the retina.