Effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 and -beta 2 on in vitro rabbit corneal epithelial cell proliferation promoted by epidermal growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor, or hepatocyte growth factor

Corneal epithelial wound healing is intimately controlled by a variety of growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and transforming growth factor-beta s (TGF-beta s). In this study, we investigate the effects of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 on cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cell proliferation promoted by EGF, KGF, or HGF. Both TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2 dose-dependently inhibited corneal epithelial cell proliferation promoted by KGF (40 ng ml(-1)) and HGF (40 ng ml(-1)), and weakly inhibited cell proliferation promoted by EGF (4 ng ml(-1)). Furthermore, the inhibitory effect tended to be stronger with TGF-beta 2 than TGF-beta 1. These findings suggest that TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2 play important roles as negative modulators against the cell proliferation effect of EGF, KGF and HGF. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.