[Growth factors in experimental ulcer]

Important role is attributed to the growth factors in the development, growth, and restitution after injury of the gastrointestinal tract. The common feature of growth factors is their ability to stimulate the growth and mitosis of quiescent cells in a nutritionally complete medium which in itself is not sufficient to initiate cell division. Epidermal growth factor prevents efficiently the experimentally induced acute gastric mucosal lesions induced by aspirin, absolute ethanol, HCl, NaCl, immobilization, and immersion and it accelerates the healing of acetic acid-induced chronic gastric and cysteamine-induced chronic duodenal ulcers. It proved to be also useful in the treatment of human gastric ulcers. Fibroblast growth factor possesses similar gastroprotective and chronic ulcer-healing properties. Its effects is much more potent than that of epidermal growth factor and that of H2-receptor blockers. The "trefoil"-peptides constitute the latest family of growth factors which are supposed to be involved in the regeneration of the normal and the ulcerated gastrointestinal mucosa. Polyamines are non-peptide growth promoting compounds present in all eukaryotic cells; their gastroprotective and ulcer-healing properties have also been published. The use of some growth factors as regenerative and angiogenic therapy could open a new, alternative way in the future management of peptic ulcer disease.