Proliferative Effect of Serum on Bovine Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Culture

ABSTRACT

The retinal pigment epithelium(RPE) is one of the most important cell layers in the visual system and is vital to the integrity of the rod and cone outer segments. It has many complex functions, such as absorption of light, storage and conversion of vitamin A esters and formation of acid- mucopolysaccharide complex. As serum in the vitreous cavity stimulates the migration and proliferation of RPE cells, serum is necessary to grow RPE cells in culture. Bovine RPE cells were cultured with various concentrations of fetal bovine serum(FBS 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 40%) to evaluate their effects on RPE cell growth. FBS stimulated the proliferation of bovine RPE ells in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal proliferation at 20% FBS. This proliferative effect, however, was suppressed at the highest concentration(40% FBS).