The effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on cell proliferation of the gastrointestinal mucosa in rodents.

The effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the cell production rate throughout the gastrointestinal mucosa in adult rats and mice was studied. The vincristine arrest technique combined with the micro-dissection method was used to estimate the cell production rate in the crypt. EGF showed trophic effects on some parts of the bowel, viz. duodenum, jejunum, ileum (5%, 50%, 95% along the bowel length respectively) and colon. But is showed no effect on the cell production rates in the gastric glands. The response to EGF differed in rats and mice and at different times after the injection. EGF stimulates cell proliferation in the duodenal and ileal crypts in mice, and the jejunal and ileal crypts in rats 16 h after injection. On the other hand, EGF stimulates colonic crypt cell proliferation only, in mice 8 h after injection.