Comparison of solcoseryl and epidermal growth factors (EGF) in healing of chronic gastroduodenal ulcerations and mucosal growth in rats.

Solcoseryl, a deproteinized extract of calf blood, and EGF, produced by salivary glands, have been shown to enhance the healing of peptic ulcerations, but the mechanism of this effect is unknown. Since both solcoseryl and EGF have been reported to stimulate cell proliferation, we designed the study to compare the ulcer healing and growth promoting actions of these two agents in the same animals. Gastric and duodenal ulcerations were produced by serosal application of 100% acetic acid on an area of 13.8 mm2 of gastric and duodenal wall, respectively. In the control animals, 7 days after ulcer induction, the mean ulcer area was reduced to 7.1 +/- 1.2 mm2 in the stomach, and to 6.1 +/- 0.8 mm2 in the duodenum. After 14 days all ulcers were healed, both in the stomach and duodenum. Oral administration of solcoseryl (10 ml/kg-day) or EGF (30 micrograms/kg-day) for 7 days after ulcer induction resulted in a significant reduction in the ulcer area in the stomach, and to a greater extent in the duodenum. This enhancement of ulcer healing by solcoseryl was accompanied by a significant increase in the weight of the duodenal mucosa and the total contents of DNA and RNA after 7 days of treatment, and in the weight and nucleic acid contents in both the gastric and duodenal mucosa after 14 days of treatment. EGF also increased the weights and the nucleic acid contents in gastric and duodenal mucosa, but this was significant only after 14 days of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)