Extracellular matrix biosynthesis by cultured fetal rat lung epithelial cells. III. Effects of chronic exposure to epidermal growth factor on growth, differentiation, and collagen biosynthesis.

Studies have been performed to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to epidermal growth factor (EGF) on a cell line (FRLE cells) established from the fetal rat lung type II alveolar epithelial cell. Chronic exposure to EGF enhanced proliferation and altered the culture morphology at the light microscopic level. At the ultrastructural level, chronic exposure to EGF inhibited the expression of lamellar body-like structures that occurs in the absence of EGF. Estimations of total protein and collagen production indicated that chronic exposure to EGF suppressed collagen production without significantly altering total protein synthesis. Quantitative evaluation of the genetic types of collagen (types I, III, IV, and V) produced by FRLE cells revealed decreased production of each collagen type in cultures chronically exposed to EGF. However, the magnitude of the decrease differed for each collagen type, with type III collagen synthesis being suppressed to the greatest extent. Additionally, chronic exposure to EGF resulted in enhanced secretion of types I, III, and IV collagen molecules and an increase in the ratios of type I-homotrimers to type I-heterotrimers and of type V-homotrimers to type V-heterotrimers. These findings demonstrate that chronic exposure to EGF selectively alters collagen expression in a cell line established from the fetal type II pneumocyte.