Characterization of growth factor activity produced by fetal mouse osteoblasts.

Bone matrix contains a variety of growth factors, but little is known of osteoblastic production of such materials. The present study assesses growth factor activity, chromatographed on acidic Bio-Gel P-100, secreted into conditioned media of primary cultures of fetal mouse calvaria. The cultures produced insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), determined by radioimmuno-assay of molecular weights 20 and 10 kDa. IGF-II, determined by radioreceptor assay, was present at 20-29 and 7 kDa. The IGF peaks at 20, 10 and 7 kDa were all mitogenic in MCF-7 cells. Proteins of several different molecular weights were also present that specifically bound IGF-I and IGF-II. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), assayed in a system for inhibition of growth, was also produced. Both activated and latent forms were present, and part of the TGF-beta was TGF-beta 2. The absence of mitogenic activity in the bmolecular range of platelet-derived growth factor, assayed in 3T3 fibroblasts, makes it unlikely that mouse osteoblasts produce this growth factor.