Effects of Transforming Growth Factor β1 on Astroglial Cells in Culture

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Abstract
The effects of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) on DNA synthesis and functional differentiation of astroglial cells cultured in serum-free medium were investigated. TGFβ1 diminished and delayed the peak of DNA synthesis induced by serum. TGFβ1-treated cells were larger than control cells. This factor delayed the appearance of process-bearing cells induced by acidic fibroblast growth factor treatment and also affected the astrocyte-specific enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS), whose accumulation is under hydrocortisone (HC) control. TGFβ1 inhibited the induction of GS activity by HC in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, pretreatment with TGFβ1 for 4 h maintained the inhibition of GS activity for ˜16 h after removal of this factor from culture medium. These results suggest that TGFβ1 may be an important regulator of astrocyte growth and differentiation.