The anti-proliferative action of transforming growth factor-β1 on a rat intestinal epithelial cell line (rie-1) is dependent on cell population density and culture passage number

Abstract

• 1.

  1. The proliferation of RIE-1 rat intestinal epithelial cells was potently but reversibly inhibited by transforming growth factor-β₁ (TGF-β₁). In early-passage cultures, complete growth arrest was observed when sparse cultures were treated with TGF-β₁ (1 ng/ml).

• 2.

  2. However, increasing the initial cell culture density resulted in decreased TGF-β₁-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation.

• 3.

  3. Independent of this population density effect, RIE-1 cells also exhibit a marked phenotypic transition around passage-8 to -10, such that later-passage cells were less responsive to growth inhibition by TGF-β₁].