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Epidermal growth factor increases basal mucosal blood flow in the rat colon, a prostaglandin dependent effect
P Hoffmann1, V E Eysselein, J M Zeeh
1Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90509, USA. peter.hoffmann@uni-essen.de
Objective/Background:
Non-mitogenic biological activity such as modulation of mucosal blood flow is suspected to convey the protective effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in vivo. The aims of our present study were to determine the effects of EGF on colonic mucosal blood flow and injury induced hyperaemia in rats.
Design/Methods:
Rats were pretreated with i.p. injections of vehicle, EGF, or indomethacin and EGF prior to mucosal injury. Basal mucosal blood flow and injury induced hyperaemia at the border of the damaged mucosa was determined by using reflectance spectrophotometry.
Results:
EGF significantly increased basal mucosal blood flow but did not further enhance injury induced hyperaemia. The EGF induced increase in basal mucosal blood flow was completely abolished by indomethacin pretreatment.
Conclusions:
EGF induces an increase of basal mucosal blood flow through induction of prostaglandin synthesis. We hypothesize that the increase in mucosal blood flow contributes to the ability of EGF to protect the colonic mucosa against injury.