INFLUENCE OF GROWTH-FACTORS ON IN-VITRO INVASIVENESS AND TYPE-IV COLLAGENOLYSIS OF HUMAN RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA-CELLS

We investigated the influence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and tra nsforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 on the in vitro invasion and type IV collagenolytic activity of two new cell lines of renal cell carcino ma (SRCC-1P and SRCC-1M). When cells were treated with EGF or with TGF -beta1, EGF increased the number of cells penetrating through the reco nstituted basement membrane in SRCC-1P. In contrast, TGF-beta1 suppres sed the number of cells penetrating through the membrane in SRCC-1M. I n accordance with the invasiveness, EGF enhanced the activity of type IV collagenolysis in SRCC-1P, and TGF-beta1, suppressed it in SRCC-1M. The growth factors did not affect DNA synthesis of the cells as evalu ated by H-3-thymidine incorporation. These results suggest that EGF an d TGF-beta1 can influence the in vitro invasive process of renal cell carcinoma cells through their actions on proteolysis such as type IV c ollagenolysis.