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Postnatal undernutrition: effect of epidermal growth factor on growth and function of the gastrointestinal tract in
Insights
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) partially reversed the negative effects of early-life undernutrition in rats, improving body weight and gastrointestinal tissue growth. EGF enhanced tissue protein and nucleic acid content, showing greater effects in the oxyntic gland.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Gastroenterology
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Early-life undernutrition significantly impairs growth and development.
- Gastrointestinal tract development is particularly sensitive to nutritional status.
- Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays a crucial role in tissue growth and repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on growth and development in undernourished rats.
- To assess EGF's impact on body weight, gastrointestinal tissue mass, and biochemical composition.
- To compare EGF's effects on different parts of the gastrointestinal tract.
Main Methods:
- Rats were subjected to undernutrition from birth to 24 days of age.
- Undernourished rats received daily injections of either saline or EGF (20 µg/kg) from day 17 to 24.
- A well-nourished, weaned group treated with saline served as controls.
Main Results:
- Undernutrition significantly reduced body weight and the weight of the oxyntic gland, antrum, and small intestine.
- EGF administration partially reversed these effects, increasing body weight and gastrointestinal tissue mass and composition.
- EGF showed a greater stimulatory effect on the oxyntic gland compared to the small intestine; gastrin levels were unaffected.
Conclusions:
- Epidermal growth factor (EGF) can partially mitigate the detrimental effects of early-life undernutrition on growth and gastrointestinal development in rats.
- EGF promotes tissue regeneration and growth in undernourished conditions, particularly in the oxyntic gland.
- Further research may explore therapeutic applications of EGF in managing growth deficits caused by malnutrition.
Abstract:
Rats were kept undernourished from birth to 24 days of age. At 17 days of age, the undernourished animals were divided into two groups and then injected with either saline or epidermal growth factor (EGF; 20 micrograms/kg) once a day for 7 days. They were killed 12-14 h after the last injection at which time the animals were 24 days old. During the experimental period the undernourished animals were prevented from weaning. A well-nourished group (weaned) which was injected with saline from 17 to 24 days of age, was also included. Undernutrition by itself significantly decreased body weight and the weight of the oxyntic gland area, antrum, and small intestine. This was also accompanied by a parallel reduction in DNA, RNA, and protein content in the oxyntic gland and small intestine. However, administration of EGF to undernourished rats resulted in a partial reversal of the situation. In undernourished rats, EGF caused significant enhancements in body weight as well as the weight of the gastrointestinal tissues and their protein and nucleic acid content when compared with the saline-treated undernourished controls. Furthermore, the magnitude of stimulation was found to be greater in the oxyntic gland than in the small intestine following EGF administration. The antral or serum gastrin levels were not affected by EGF. In both saline- and EGF-treated undernourished rats, lactase, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase activities (expressed as total or specific activity) were found to be significantly higher than in the well-nourished animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)