Molecular Characterization of Fibroblast Growth Factor: Distribution and Biological Activities in Various Tissues

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of molecular characterization and the distribution and biological activities of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in various tissues. FGF in the pituitary plays a nonmitogenic role in the maintenance of prolactin and thyrotropin responsiveness, while the same molecule in macrophages may promote wound healing and in the corpus luteum angiogenesis. It is based on the diverse biological activities of somatostatin in brain, hypothalamus, stomach, and pancreas and the wide distribution of numerous neuropeptides in both the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The concept is equally applicable to FGF and perhaps other growth factors that show a wide distribution in many tissues. The results presented in the chapter suggest that heretofore unidentified biologic activities may be related if not identical to acidic and basic FGFs. These would include ovarian growth factor, macrophage-derived growth factor, cartilage growth factor, tumor angiogenic factor, eye-derived growth factor, retina-derived growth factor, corpus luteum angiogenic peptide, follicular angiogenic factor, adrenal vascularizing factor, and endothelial cell growth factors.