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[The study of growth factors in human colostrum]
Objective:
To characterize and identify the growth factors in human colostrum and to evaluate the importance of breast-feeding.
Methods:
The activity of growth factors in human colostrum was determined by technique of 3H-TdR incorporation into cultured NIH-3T3 cells. The acid growth factor (CAGF) and basic growth factor (CBGF) were purified from human colostrum by a sequence of chromatography. The study of stability and SDS-PAGE was applied to identify the CAGF and CBGF.
Results:
0.5% (v/v) of human colostrum and 3.0% (v/v) of bovine serum had the same activity in stimulating DNA synthesis. The specific activity of human colostrum in stimulating DNA synthesis was 20 times greater than that of bovine serum. The activity of growth factors in human colostrum was higher than that in human milk or bovine colostrum, and only human colostrum contained two different kinds of growth factors--CAGF and CBGF.
Conclusions:
Human colostrum contains two kinds of growth factors. CAGF is epidermal growth factor like (EGF-like) growth factor and the CBGF is platelet differentiation growth factor like (PDGF-like) growth factor. The effects of human colostrum on promoting baby growth and development is stronger than that of human milk and bovine colostrum.