TGF-?1 promotes cell barrier function upon maturation of corneal endothelial cells.
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ABSTRACT: Human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) easily become fibroblastic-like when cultured, rendering them unsuitable for tissue engineering of the cornea. Transforming growth factor ? (TGF-?) could be a key factor in this phenomenon; however, TGF-? is also known to maintain the endothelium in a quiescent state in vivo. This work aimed to compare the effects of TGF-?1 on the phenotype of HCECs during the proliferation and maturation phases. Our results show that addition of TGF-?1 during the active proliferation phase produced fibroblastic HCECs and loss of the cell junction markers ZO-1 and n-cadherin, independent from the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF). By contrast, addition of TGF-?1 in maturation media containing few mitogens led to an endothelial phenotype and functional cell junctions as HCECs developed a high trans-endothelial resistance. Furthermore, addition of AG-1478, an epithelial growth factor receptor inhibitor, enhanced the gain of the endothelial phenotype and cell barrier function. Overall, these results show that TGF-?1 can be used to promote the formation of a typical leaky endothelial barrier during the maturation phase of cultured HCECs. A two-phase culture of HCECs using distinct proliferation and maturation media could also be key for developing ideal HCEC culture conditions.
SUBMITTER: Beaulieu Leclerc V
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5849742 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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