Fibroblast growth factor-stimulated growth of porcine aortic endothelial cells depends on hypoxanthine in fetal bovine serum in culture media.

The rate of proliferation of porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC) in response to stimulation of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) was largely retarded in media supplemented with 10% dialyzed fetal bovine serum (FBS) in place of nondialyzed FBS. This inhibition was overcome by supplement of dialyzable fraction, and hypoxanthine was purified from the dialyzable fraction as the active compound which stimulated the basal and FGF-dependent growth rates of dialyzed FBS-treated PAEC. Addition of hypoxanthine (5 microM) to media with 10% dialyzed FBS containing FGFs (10 ng/ml) markedly increased the rate of both cell proliferation and DNA synthesis of PAEC, and their maximal levels were comparable to those attained by cells in media with 10% nondialyzed FBS. Hypoxanthine changed the spindle-like morphology of dialyzed FBS-treated PAEC even in the presence of FGFs into the cobblestone-like morphology of regular PAEC in media with 10% FBS.