The effect of sodium hyaluronate on the growth of rabbit corneal epithelial cells in vitro.

The effect of sodium hyaluronate (Na-HA) on the growth of rabbit corneal epithelial cells was investigated in vitro by using MTT assay and [3H]-thymidine incorporation. Na-HA, with a molecular weight of 86 x 10(4), enhanced the growth of the corneal epithelial cells cultured on a fibronectin (FN) coated dish, but when cells were cultured on a noncoated dish, Na-HA did not enhance the growth of the cells. Na-HA, labeled with 5-aminofluorescein (FA-HA), bound to the corneal epithelial cells, and the CD44-like molecule was identified on the cells by using a monoclonal antibody, OS/37. Furthermore, the binding of FA-HA to the cells was significantly inhibited by the monoclonal antibody. These results suggest that Na-HA binds to the CD44-like molecule associated with FN and then enhances the growth of the corneal epithelial cells.