Therapeutic effects of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in a murine model of concurrent chemo- and radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis.

Concurrent chemotherapy with radiotherapy (CCRT) has been applied for the treatment of advanced stage of head and neck cancer patients. However CCRT is associated with several complications including mucositis, dermatitis, stomatitis, etc. This study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of systemically administrated recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in CCRT-induced oral mucositis in a mouse model. Oral mucositis was induced in male BALB/c mice through combination treatment with cisplatin (11 mg/kg, i.p.) and irradiation (17 Gy) of the head and neck area. rhEGF (1.0 mg/kg/day for consecutive 3 days) was administered systemically, and the therapeutic effect was determined by histological evaluation of the oral mucosa. To elucidate optimal dose of rhEGF on CCRT-induced mucositis, various concentrations (0.04-3 mg/kg) of rhEGF were injected for 3 days. Systemic rhEGF administration accelerated the recovery of body weight. Histologically, rhEGF-treated mice showed significantly increased epithelial cell layer thickness, basal cell number, and expression of Ki-67 compared to control mice. Most effective dose was 1 mg/kg among other doses tested. Systemic administration of 1 mg/kg of rhEGF reduces the severity of oral mucositis induced by CCRT in a mouse model, suggesting that rhEGF can be used for treating CCRT-induced mucositis during the cancer treatment.