Effect of mouse epidermal growth factor/urogastrone on the functional maturation of rat intestine.
Mouse epidermal growth factor/urogastrone (EGF/UG), administered sc in a dose of 0.1 microgram/g BW twice daily for 3 days, increased intestinal weight per unit length, lactase specific activity, and net calcium transport in normal 2-week-old suckling rats, but had no effect on maltase or sucrase specific activity. In normal 3-week-old weanling rats, the intestinal function of which is essentially fully mature, EGF/UG had no effect. These results suggest that EGF/UG, either secreted endogenously or ingested in breast milk, may have a role in both the morphological and functional maturation of the suckling rat intestine.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000254:growth & development*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013393:Sucrase / Q000378:metabolism; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D013393:Sucrase; D002118:Calcium