| Research Abstract |
With aid of the above grant, we have researched and reported on the mechanisums of glomerulosclerosis. We have obtained the following results during the period of research project :
(1) When human mesangial cells(HMC) were cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane, Matrigel HMC aggregated and formed isolated colonies, then extended an array of cell processes to form a dendritic network structure and proliferated very slowly. On type I collagen gel, HMC showed rapid cell growth.
(2) Mesangial cell proliferation was inhibited markedly on gels containing type III collagen, heparin and heparan sulphate ; type IV collagen suppressed HMC proliferation.
(3) Conditioned medium(CM) of cultured mesangial cells showed the inhibitory activity on mesangial cell proliferation, which was absorbed with anti-TGF-beta antibody. In CM, less than 10% of TGF-beta was present in active form. Direct addition of anti-TGF-beta antibody to culture media enhanced mesangial cell proliferation.
(4) The effect of direct cell contact between endothelial and mesangial cells on mesangial cell behavior was examined in a coculture system. MoAb.1-22-3 was bound preferentially to the limited mesangial cell surface facing endothelial cells.
(5) There is a difference in reactivity between MoAb.1-22-3 and anti-Thy1.1 Ab(OX-7).
Now, we are investigating a new epitope detected with MoAb.1-22-3 at the cellular (immune electronmicroscopic) and molecular (using cDNA for Thy-1 gene) levels.
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