In Vitro and In Vivo Function of Platelet-Derived Endothelial Cell Growth Factor

血小板源性内皮细胞生长因子（Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, PD-ECGF）是一种新型的血管生成因子，我们在1988年成功克隆了其cDNA。为了阐明该因子在体内的作用，我们研究了产生PD-ECGF的细胞，并研究了该因子在体外和体内的功能。通过筛选40个培养细胞，我们发现PD-ECGF在一些间变性甲状腺癌细胞和乳腺癌细胞中大量产生。PD-ECGF缺乏疏水信号序列，不能有效地从这些细胞分泌PD-ECGF。PD-ECGF在人胎盘和血小板中产生。免疫组织化学分析显示，PD-ECGF是由间质组织中的成纤维细胞产生的。由于PD-ECGF同时作用于内皮细胞和绒毛膜癌细胞，它可能在胎盘的发生发展中发挥重要作用。从人胎盘基因组文库中克隆了人PD-ECGF基因，并对其启动子区域进行了表征。PD-ECGF基因定位于人类22号染色体。PD-ECGF不仅作用于血管内皮细胞，还作用于其他培养细胞，如上皮细胞系。因此，这些结果表明，PD-ECGF作为一种伤口愈合激素在临床上具有重要意义。

Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is a novel type of angiogenic factor which we have succeeded in the cDNA cloning in 1988. In order to elucidate the in vivo roles of this factor, we have investigated the cells producing PD-ECGF, and studied the functions of this factor in vitro and in vivo.By screening 40 cultured cells, we found that PD-ECGF was produced in some anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells and a breast cancer cell in large amounts. PD-ECGF lacks a hydrophobic signal sequence, and PD-ECGF was not secreted efficiently from these cells.PD-ECGF is produced in human placenta as well as in platelets. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PD-ECGF is produced by fibroblasts in stromal tissue. Since PD-ECGF acts on both endothelial cells and choriocarcinoma cells, it may play an important role in the development of placenta.Human PD-ECGF gene was cloned from human placental genomic library, and its promotor region was characterized. It was also shown that PD-ECGF gene is localized in human chromosome 22.PD-ECGF acts not only on vascular endothelial cells, but on some other cultured cells, such as epithelial cell lines. These results, thus, suggest that PD-ECGF will be clinically important as a wound healing hormone.