Local effects of EGF, alpha-TGF, and EGF-like growth factors on lobuloalveolar development of the mouse mammary gland in vivo.
Five-week-old female mice supplemented with estradiol and progesterone are able to respond to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF-like growth factors (alpha-transforming growth factor [alpha-TGF] and crude mammary-derived growth factor) with local lobuloalveolar development when these growth factors are directly introduced into the mammary glands via slow-release cholesterol-based pellets. Contralateral glands receiving pellets containing only cholesterol showed no growth response. The local growth effect is maximal at 4-5 days of exposure to hormones and growth factors. The glands appear to be more sensitive to alpha-TGF than EGF, since local development is seen with one-fifth the level of the former vs. the latter growth factor and can be seen even in the absence of the systemic estrogen/progesterone supplement.
D000818:Animals; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors
D010455:Peptides; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors