Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a multifunctional protein that has been shown to possess potent growth-inhibitory activity. To identify small molecular weight compounds with TGF-beta-like activities, high throughput screening was performed using mink lung epithelial cells stably transfected with a TGF-beta-responsive plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 promoter/luciferase construct....

The tumor suppressor gene deleted in pancreatic cancer locus 4 (DPC4) is inactivated in about 50% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. DPC4 was found to be homologous to Smad4 and may function as a transcription factor in the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) receptor-mediated signal transduction pathway. We have investigated the role of DPC4 in the TGF-beta receptor-mediated signal transduc...

Endochondral bone formation was induced in postnatal rats by implantation of demineralized rat bone matrix. Corresponding control tissue was generated by implanting inactive extracted bone matrix, which did not induce bone formation. At various times, implants were removed and sequentially extracted with guanidine hydrochloride, and then EDTA and guanidine hydrochloride. Transforming growth fac...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been implicated in the development of interstitial fibrosis in cardiac hypertrophy. NO has been regarded as a potent inhibitor of cardiac fibroblast growth, albeit the modulation of cellular events associated with interstitial fibrosis remains undefined. In this regard, the regulation of TGF-beta mRNA expression by the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-p...

We have examined the interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signal pathways because of their mutual involvement in the regulation of cell growth, development and differentiation. Most studies of this cross-talk event have focused on the effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) on TGF-beta responses. In this work, we show that TGF-beta can antagoni...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a potent regulator of cell proliferation and modulates the interactions of cells with their extracellular matrix (ECM), in part by inducing the synthesis of various ECM proteins. Three different isoforms of TGF-beta are synthesized in a defined pattern in specific cell populations in vivo. In the specific case of TGF-beta 1, this well-defined and li...

TGF-beta isoforms are expressed in the anterior pituitary and modulate the growth and function of endocrine pituitary cells. Recently, TGF-beta has been shown to stimulate growth and basic fibroblast growth factor secretion in nonendocrine folliculostellate (FS) pituitary cells. We therefore studied whether the production of FS cell-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the most im...

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and TGF-beta 2 were found to be potent mitogens for purified rat Schwann cells, each stimulating DNA synthesis in quiescent cells and also increasing their proliferation rate. Half-maximal stimulation of DNA synthesis occurred at approximately 0.1 ng/ml TGF-beta 1 or TGF-beta 2. Mitogenic stimulation by TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 was enhanced by for...

The modulation of interleukin 1 (IL-1) effects on proteoglycan metabolism in intact murine patellar cartilage by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro TGF-beta (400 pmol/l) had no effect on basal proteoglycan degradation. Proteoglycan degradation induced by IL-1, however, was suppressed by TGF-beta in serum free medium alone and in medium sup...

The multifunctional cytokine, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), was identified by immunocytochemistry in the brain tissues of four patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), but not in control brain tissue. The TGF-beta staining was localized to cells of monocytic lineage as well as astrocytes, especially in areas of brain pathology. In addition, the brain tissues from ...