AIM:To investigate the effect of epidermal growth factor(EGF)on proliferation and migration of retinal pigment epithelial(RPE)cells.

METHODS: Human RPE cell lines(ARPE-19 cell)were treated with different doses of EGF. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)assay was used to detect cell viability. The 5-bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU)incorporation assay was used to detect cell proliferation and the “scratch-wound assay” was used to detect cell migration ability. The epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)and protein kinase B(AKT)proteins were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS:The MTT assay results showed that treatment with 50 and 100ng/mL EGF for 12h increased ARPE-19 cell viability. The BrdU incorporation assay and the “scratch-wound assay” showed that treatment with 100ng/mL EGF for 24h increased ARPE-19 cell proliferation and migration. The Western blot results showed that treatment with 10-100ng/mL EGF for 12h or 100ng/mL EGF for 15-180min increased phosphorylation levels of EGFR and decreased total levels of EGFR. Similarly, treatment with 10-100ng/mL EGF for 12h or 100ng/mL EGF for 15-180min increased phosphorylation levels of AKT, but not affected total levels of AKT.

CONCLUSION: EGF affects ARPE-19 cell viability, proliferation and migration through inducing phosphorylation of the EGFR/AKT signaling pathway. The EGFR/AKT signaling pathway might play an important role in abnormal proliferation and migration of RPE cells in proliferative vitreoretinopathy.