Decrease in epidermal growth factor receptor and its messenger ribonucleic acid levels in intrauterine growth-retarded and diabetes mellitus-complicated pregnancies.

We measured the amounts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in plasma membranes from human placentas at term delivery in three groups: appropriate for gestational age (AGA), intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR), and diabetes mellitus-complicated (DM) pregnancies. At the same time, EGFR mRNA levels were examined in three groups by dot and Northern blot analyses. Binding studies were performed using 125I-labeled human EGF as a ligand, and two classes (high and low) of binding sites were found in all specimens. Although dissociation constants (Kd) were not significantly different among three groups, the number of binding sites was significantly decreased in IUGR and DM placentas compared to that in the AGA group. Total cellular RNA was isolated from a part of the placentas used for binding studies using the guanidinium CsCl method, denatured, and dot blotted onto nitrocellulose filter. Poly(A)+ RNA was selected from the total RNA, electrophoresed in 1% agarose gel, and transferred onto nitrocellulose filters. Then, hybridization with 32P-labeled pE7 (a cDNA of EGFR), autoradiography, and densitometry were performed. The amounts of mRNA hybridized with pE7 were reduced in IUGR and DM placentas compared to that in the AGA group. The molecular sizes of EGFR mRNA were 10 and 5.6 kilobases in all three groups. These results suggest possible physiological actions of EGF on adequate feto-placental growth and development in human pregnancy.