A potential role for epidermal growth factor/alpha-transforming growth factor in human parturition

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)/alpha-transforming growth factor (alpha-TGF) concentrations were measured in amniotic fluid by radioreceptor assay in non-laboring and laboring patients at term. The median concentrations of EGF/alpha-TGF were 1.28 ng/ml and 5.0 ng/ml in non-laboring and laboring patients respectively (p less than 0.05, Wilcoxon test). EGF was then incubated with amnion cells in monolayer culture to ascertain the effect of this hormone on the release of prostaglandin E2. Experiments were carried out in quadruplicate in 11 separate primary amnion-cell cultures (EGF was used at 1 ng/ml and 5 ng/ml, respectively). An increased release of prostaglandin E2 into the media was found. The response was concentration-dependent (p less than 0.01). We suggest that there may be a role for EGF in the mechanism of human parturition.