Induction Of Connective Tissue Growth Factor By TGF-β₁ In Lens Epithelial Cells

Objective: (1) To investigate the effect of Transforming growth factor β₁ (TGF-β₁) on inhibiting lens epithelial cells' proliferation .(2) To investigate the effect of TGF-β₁ inducing lens epithelial cells to express connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) in vitro conditions and the expression of CTGF in vivo.Methods: (1) Using cell culture technique ,the 2-3 passage rabbit lens epithelial cells were incubated with different concentrations of TGF-β₁ (0.1 , 1 , 10ng/ml) for 24h, the effects of TGF-β₁ on lens epithelial cells' proliferation was investigated using MTT colorimetry . (2) The 2-3 passage rabbit lens epithelial cells were incubated with different concentrations of TGF-β₁ (0.1 , 1 , 10ng/ml) for 8h, the expression of CTGF by TGF-β₁ stimulating was detected by immunocytochemical staining , image analysis was used to evaluate the induction of CTGF; In human senile cataract lens epithelial cells, the expression of CTGF by TGF-β₁ stimulating was also detected by immunocytochemical staining in vitro; In human senile cataract lens epithelial cells, the expression of CTGF was also detected by immunocytochemical staining in vivo. Results: (1) Absorbant value denoting proliferation effect of different concentrations of TGF-β₁ (0.1 , 1 , 10ng/ml) were respectively 0.081±0.012 , 0.078±0.009 , 0.066±0.014, it showed that TGF-β₁ could inhibit lens epithelial cells' proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05or P<0.01), inhibiting rate was from 15.8% up to 31.9% ; (2) Average optical density (AOD) denoting induction of CTGF by different concentrations of TGF-β₁ (0.1 , 1 , 10ng/ml) were respectively 0.153±0.013, 0.190±0.012, 0.208±0.019, it showed that TGF-β₁ can induce the expression of CTGF in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05or P<0.01); In human senile cataract lens epithelial cells, TGF-β₁ can also induce the expression of CTGF in vitro, but no expression of CTGF in vivo.Conclusions: TGF-β₁ can inhibit lens epithelial cells' proliferation and enhance the expression of CTGF; These findings show that CTGF may take an important role in the pathological course of posterior capsule opacification acting as a downstreammediator of TGF-β₁ action.