Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) levels in the developing rat brain.

Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (FGF) are polypeptides with potent multipotential trophic effects on central nervous system (CNS) glia, endothelial cells, and neurons. These factors are characterized by strong binding to heparin, and are commonly assayed by their mitogenic activity on Balb/c 3T3 cells in vitro. We found a marked (ca.