Figure 1. Effect of FGF on opacification induced by TGFβ in cultured rat lenses

Lenses from weanling (A-D) or immature (E,F) rats were cultured without TGFβ (B) or with addition of TGFβ at a concentration of 3 ng/ml (A), 1.5 ng/ml (C,D) or 0.8 ng/ml (E,F). In some cases, the medium was supplemented with FGF at a concentration of 20 ng/ml (D), 5 ng/ml (E) or 2.5 ng/ml (F). The medium was replaced on day 2 of culture, without re-adding growth factors, and lenses were photographed on day 4 (A,C,D) or day 5 (B,E,F) of culture. Distinct anterior opacities were absent from the lens cultured without TGFβ (B). With TGFβ, extensive formation of opacities occurred only in the weanling lenses cultured with 3 ng/ml TGFβ (A); for weanling and immature lenses cultured with lower doses of TGFβ, opacity development, if it occurred at all, was weak (C). Inclusion of FGF at all doses used resulted in a marked increase in the severity of the opacification response (D-F). In E and especially F, regions of opacification appeared less condensed than in D and tended to be present in swirling formations arising from the lens equator.