Proliferation of vascular endothelial cells stimulated in vitro by corneal epithelium.

Angiogenic activity in the corneal epithelium has been reported in an in vivo system. This study was undertaken to determine if this property would also be manifest in a direct fashion in vitro. Experiments were performed using rabbit vascular endothelial cells in culture. Rabbit corneal epithelial homogenate, medium exposed to corneal epithelial cultures (epithelial conditioned medium) and corneal keratocyte homogenate were tested for their mitogenic potential. Both corneal epithelial homogenate and epithelial conditioned medium were found to significantly increase the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. This effect was dose dependent, manifest in media containing different sera and heat stable. Keratocyte homogenate, when prepared in the same manner, was not mitogenic.