title: Epidermal growth factor-like activity in mares' milk.
abstract: Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like activity was measured in mares' colostrum and milk by radioreceptor assay. Milk samples were collected from 22 mares 1 or more times during early lactation. Samples of colostrum were taken after parturition and before the foal first suckled (presuckle), within 6 hours after the foal first suckled (postsuckle), and on days 1, 2, 4, and 8 of lactation. In the 5 mares from which milk samples were obtained at each sampling time, presuckle colostral mean EGF-like activity (17.8 ng/ml) was greatest (P less than 0.05). The mean values for EGF-like activity at all other sampling times were not significantly different from each other (postsuckle colostrum, 9.7 ng/ml; day 1, 9.6 ng/ml; day 2, 8.5 ng/ml; day 4, 8.0 ng/ml; day 8, 7.8 ng/ml).
authors.affiliation: Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Lessburg 22075.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Schaudies
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cavey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D011869:Radioligand Assay
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor