Effect of epidermal growth factor on proliferation and migration of retinal pigment epithelial cells through EGFR/AKT signaling pathway

• Main Authors: Xiao-Dong Chen, Jian-Yu Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Press of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO PRESS) 2018-02-01
• Series: Guoji Yanke Zazhi
• Subjects: epidermal growth factor; epidermal growth factor receptor; protein kinase B; retinal pigment epithelial cell
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.cn/cn_publish/2018/3/201803006.pdf

AIM:To investigate the effect of epidermal growth factor(EGF)on proliferation and migration of retinal pigment epithelial(RPE)cells. <p>METHODS: Human RPE cell lines(ARPE-19 cell)were treated with different doses of EGF. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)assay was used to detect cell viability. The 5-bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU)incorporation assay was used to detect cell proliferation and the “scratch-wound assay” was used to detect cell migration ability. The epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)and protein kinase B(AKT)proteins were detected by Western blot. <p>RESULTS:The MTT assay results showed that treatment with 50 and 100ng/mL EGF for 12h increased ARPE-19 cell viability. The BrdU incorporation assay and the “scratch-wound assay” showed that treatment with 100ng/mL EGF for 24h increased ARPE-19 cell proliferation and migration. The Western blot results showed that treatment with 10-100ng/mL EGF for 12h or 100ng/mL EGF for 15-180min increased phosphorylation levels of EGFR and decreased total levels of EGFR. Similarly, treatment with 10-100ng/mL EGF for 12h or 100ng/mL EGF for 15-180min increased phosphorylation levels of AKT, but not affected total levels of AKT. <p>CONCLUSION: EGF affects ARPE-19 cell viability, proliferation and migration through inducing phosphorylation of the EGFR/AKT signaling pathway. The EGFR/AKT signaling pathway might play an important role in abnormal proliferation and migration of RPE cells in proliferative vitreoretinopathy.