Expression and function of nerve growth factor and nerve growth factor receptor on cultured keratinocytes

Abstract

Keratinocytes, a key cellular component both for homeostasis and pathophysiologic processes of the skin, secrete a number of cytokines and are stimulated by several growth factors. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is synthesized in the skin and basal keratinocytes express the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (NGF-R). We present evidence that normal human keratinocytes in culture express the low- and the high-affinity NGF-R both at the mRNA level, as determined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and at the protein level, as shown by cytofluorimetric analysis. NGF significantly stimulates the proliferation of normal human keratinocytes in culture in a dose-dependent manner. This effect can be prevented by the addition of both an anti-NGF neutralizing antibody and a high-affinity NGF-R (trk) specific inhibitor, the natural alkaloid K252a. By contrast, keratinocyte proliferation is not inhibited by an anti-low-affinity NGF-R monoclonal antibody, thus suggesting that NGF effect on human keratinocytes is mediated by the high-affinity NGF-R. Moreover, NGF mRNA is expressed in normal human keratinocytes and NGF is secreted by keratinocytes in increasing amounts during growth, as detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. These results suggest that NGF could act as a cytokine in human skin and take part in disorders of keratinocyte proliferation. © 1994.