Growth factor influence on the gene expression profile of human meibomian gland epithelial cells

Analysis of growth factor influence on immortalized human meibomian gland epithelial cells at gene expression level. Growth factors play a critical role in the proliferation and differentiation of sebaceous gland epithelial cells. Given that the meibomian gland is a large sebaceous gland, we hypothesize that growth factors exert analogous effects on human meibomian gland epithelial cells. Results provide important information of the response of human meibomian gland epithelial cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF), bovine pituitary extract (BPE), and both, such as up- or down- regulated genes involved in lipid metabolic process and cell cycle. Human meibomian gland epithelial cells were immortalized in our lab with a retrovirus containing telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). hTERT immortalized cells (3 wells /condition / experiment) were seeded onto 6-well plates at the density of 3.76×104cells /well in SFM basal medium, SFM basal medium with epidermal growth factor (EGF; 5 ng/ml), SFM basal medium with bovine pituitary extract (BPE; 50 µg/ml), and SFM basal medium with 5ng/ml EGF plus 50 µg/ml BPE (KGM). Total RNA was extracted from cultures in SFM basal medium at day 2, and from cultures in SFM basal medium with BPE, basal medium with EGF, and SFM basal medium with EGF plus BPE at day 7.