[The effect of the beta-type transforming growth factor and its combination with epidermal growth factor and insulin on substrate-dependent proliferation of normal and tumor cells].

The influence of different concentrations of a transforming growth factor of type beta (TGF-beta) and of its combinations with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin exerted on proliferation of different types of cells in the culture medium with semisolid agar was determined. The following cell lines were tested: mouse fibroblasts of NIH-3T3 and Swiss-3T3 lines, fibroblastic line NRK-49F from rat kidney, cells of A-549 line from human lung carcinoma, HT-1080 line from human fibrosarcoma, and PS-103 line (clone 384/5) from sarcoma stimulated by polychlorvinyl plate implantation to mouse. It is detected that TGF-beta alone does not affect the substrate-independent proliferation of pseudonormal lines of fibroblastic cells, but stimulates it significantly in sarcoma and inhibits in carcinoma cells. If EGF and/or insulin are added to the culture medium besides TGF-beta, certain proliferative effect specific of either type of pseudonormal and malignant cells is detected. The results of the action of TGF-beta, and of its combinations with the most important polypeptide growth factors on several types of cells of different origin may be useful for determination of regulatory functions of TGF-beta in cell proliferation in vivo to promote better grounding of its utilization in the practice of medicine.