TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA POTENTIATES EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR-INDUCED PROSTAGLANDIN-E2 PRODUCTION IN AMNION CELLS

Primary cultures of human amnion cells and the amnion-derived cell line WISH were used to evaluate the hypothesis that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) can modulate epidermal growth factor (EGF)- induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. Cells were preincubated for 1 hr with TGF-beta (0.0001-10 ng/ml) and then incubated in the presence or absence of EGF (10 ng/ml) for 4 hrs. TGF-beta alone did not stimulate PGE, synthesis at any dose examined. However, when primary cultures of amnion cells or WISH cells were preincubated with TGF-beta and then challenged with EGF, there was a potentiation of PGE, production that was much greater than the additive values of TGF-beta or EGF alone. These data suggest that EGF-induced PGE2 production by amnion cells can be modulated by low concentrations of TGF-beta.