Transforming growth factor-β2 induces morphological alteration of human corneal endothelial cells in vitro.

AIM

To investigate the morphological altering effect of transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) on untransfected human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) in vitro.

METHODS

After untransfected HCECs were treated with TGF-β2 at different concentrations, the morphology, cytoskeleton distribution, and type IV collagen expression of the cells were examined with inverted contrast light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, immunofluorescence or Western Blot.

RESULTS

TGF-β2 at the concentration of 3-15 µg/L had obviously alterative effects on HCECs morphology in dose and time-dependent manner, and 9 µg/L was the peak concentration. TGF-β2 (9 µg/L) altered HCE cell morphology after treatment for 36h, increased the mean optical density (P<0.01) and the length of F-actin, reduced the mean optical density (P<0.01) of the collagen type IV in extracellular matrix (ECM) and induced the rearrangement of F-actin, microtubule in cytoplasm and collagen type IV in ECM after treatment for 72h.

CONCLUTION

TGF-β2 has obviously alterative effect on the morphology of HCECs from polygonal phenotype to enlarged spindle-shaped phenotype, in dose and time-dependence manner by inducing more, elongation and alignment of F-actin, rearrangement of microtubule and larger spread area of collagen type IV.