Serum-stimulated α₁ type IV collagen gene transcription is mediated by TGF-β and inhibited by estradiol

We examined the hypothesis that fetal calf serum (FCS) stimulates murine mesangial cell α₁ type IV collagen (COL4A1) gene transcription by increasing autocrine production of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) through a platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-dependent mechanism. PDGF- stimulated COL4A1 gene transcription was inhibited by neutralizing antibody to TGF-β (119.3 ± 3.6 vs. 106.0 ± 6.2 relative luciferase units, expressed as a percentage of control untreated cells, P < 0.003). FCS-stimulated gene transcription was inhibited by neutralizing antibody to PDGF (148.3 ± 4.1 vs. 136.7 ± 0.3 relative luciferase units, P < 0.002) and by neutralizing antibody to TGF-β (148.3 ± 4.1 vs. 127.1 ± 3.4 relative luciferase units, P < 0.036). The inhibitory effect of combined treatment with anti-PDGF and anti-TGF-β antibody on gene transcription was no greater than that of anti- TGF-β antibody alone [129.5 ± 0.53 vs. 127.1 ± 3.4 relative luciferase units, P = not significant (NS)]. FCS-stimulated gene transcription was also inhibited by estradiol (10^-7 M) (148.4 ± 3.1 vs. 119.4 ± 8.1 relative luciferase units, P < 0.019). In the presence of estradiol, anti-TGF-β antibody failed to further reduce serum-stimulated gene transcription (119.4 ± 8.1 vs. 115.6 ± 9.8, P = NS), suggesting that estradiol reverses FCS- stimulated COL4A1 gene transcription by antagonizing the actions of TGF-β. Measurement of type IV collagen synthesis by Western blotting confirmed that the intact gene responded in a manner analogous to the promoter construct.