EGF Enhances the Differentiation Effect of the Extracellular Matrix Components on the GH3 Pituitary Tumor Cell / 대한해부학회지

ABSTRACT

This study was performed in order to establish the culture system optimal for the study on pituitary prolactin cells using growth factor and extra cellular matrix components as the culture substrate. The effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) alone or along with extracellular marix components on GH3 cell growth and PRL expression was assessed using cell count, BrdU-immunocytochemistry and PRL-immunocytochemistry in in vitro cultures on plastic, laminin and Matrigel. EGF decreased the cell growth, BrdU-labeling and increased the PRL-immunoreactive cells regardless of the culture substrate by day 3 of the culture. Matrigel was the best culture substrate to decrease the cell growth and to increase the PRL expression. EGF treatment in the Matrigel culture showed about 80.5% of PRL-immunoreactive cells by day 6 of the culture. These results indicated that Matrigel is the better culture substrate than plastic or laminin to inhibit the overgrowth and to increase the prolactin expression of the GH3 cell and that EGF and Matrigel causes very effective culture environment for the long-term culture of the GH3 cell by synergistic mechanism.