Coordinated regulation of vascular endothelial cell growth and prostacyclin production by epidermal growth factor: evidence of clonal variations among rat aortic endothelial cells.

Rat aortic endothelial cells were found to exhibit clonal variations in response to EGF stimulation in cell growth and prostacyclin synthesis. EGF-induced growth and prostacyclin synthesis appeared to be regulated in a coordinated manner in that a clone with a higher response to EGF growth stimulation also exhibited a higher response to EGF-stimulated prostacyclin synthesis. This observation implies a possible involvement of prostacyclin synthesis in some of the biological effects of EGF on vascular endothelial cells.