Factors and mechanisms involved in esophageal mucosal injury and repair are not well known. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of growth factors and prostaglandins on esophageal mucosal cell repair activities. Rabbit esophageal cells were isolated, cultured, and exposed to different growth factors and prostaglandin E2. Subconfluent cell cultures were used to study proliferative responses determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. Restitution was studied in confluent monolayers wounded by mechanical denudation. Restitution was the main mechanism involved in wound repair within the first 24 hr. HGF, IGF-I, and EGF dose-dependently stimulated cell proliferation but did not affect restitution. TGF-beta1 inhibited both proliferation and restitution while PDGF-BB and prostaglandin E2 had no effect. Esophageal epithelial cell restitution and proliferation are affected by growth factors. HGF, IGF-I, EGF (stimulation), and TGF-beta1 (inhibition) are major growth factors affecting in vitro esophageal wound repair activities, which, unlike those of other areas of the digestive tract, are not affected by prostaglandins.