title: Regulation of the level of epidermal growth factor by oestrogen in the submandibular gland of female mice.
abstract: The concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the submandibular gland of immature female mice (less than 6 weeks old) was low, ranging from 0.07 to 0.17 pmol (0.4 to 1.0 ng)/mg wet wt, but increasing to 7.61 pmol/mg wet wt by 8 weeks of age. It remained relatively constant up to 24 weeks of age, but thereafter the glandular EGF concentration increased again during the post-reproductive period to reach 62.9 pmol/mg wet wt. In contrast, the glandular EGF content in male mice increased greatly during the first 17 weeks of age to about 310 pmol/mg wet wt, and thereafter remained relatively constant up to 48 weeks of age. Ovariectomy of mature virgin mice markedly increased the glandular concentration of EGF to about 74.4 pmol/mg wet wt 4 weeks after the operation. This increase was suppressed by oestradiol-17 beta administered to ovariectomized mice at a dose of 1 microgram/mouse per day but not by 1 mg progesterone. Histological studies indicated that granular convoluted tubular cells that produced EGF in the submandibular gland were much less abundant in 12-week-old female and in oestrogen-treated ovariectomized mature mice than in 40-week-old female and ovariectomized mature mice. We conclude that oestrogen suppresses the concentration of EGF in the submandibular gland of female mice.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor