Figure 3. Effect of recombinant transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 on extracellular matrix (ECM) protein synthesis and deposition in optic nerve head (ONH) astrocytes and lamina cribrosa (LC) cells. Three different ONH astrocytes cell lines and four different LC cell lines were treated with various concentrations of recombinant TGF-β2 (0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 ng/ml) for 24 h, and culture medium and cell lysates were subjected to an analysis of ECM proteins. A: The effect of TGF-β2 on FN secretion in ONH astrocytes, and B: LC cells, was examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed in Graph Pad Prism using one-way ANOVA (n=3 *, p<0.0001 versus control). Recombinant TGF-β2 increased soluble fibronectin (FN) in a dose dependant fashion. C: Cell lysates obtained from LC cells were subjected to western blot analysis of cellular FN and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 in LC cells. Recombinant TGF-β2 increased synthesis of cellular FN and PAI-1 in a dose dependant manner.