Epidermal Growth Factor Stimulates Ornithine Decarboxylase Activity in the Digestive Tract of Mouse

Summary

This study examined the effect of EGF (6 μg g^-1 body wt, subcutaneously) on OD concentration in stomach, duodenum, midgut and colon, as well as a control tissue, heart, in 8-day-old mice. The animals were killed 4 hr after either EGF or control water injections. OD activity, expressed as picomoles of ¹⁴CO₂ liberated from 1-[¹⁴C]l-ornithine per mg wet weight tissue, was significantly higher in the animals given EGF than in controls in the stomach (EGF 29.9 ± 6.8; control 9.9 ± 3.6, P < .05) and the duodenum (EGF 51.7 ± 16.9; control 6.5 ± 4.3, P < .05) but not in the midgut, colon or heart. It is concluded that epidermal growth factor stimulated ornithine decarboxylase activity in the stomach and duodenum of neonatal mice suggesting a possible role for EGF (or urogastrone) in mucosal repair and defense in these tissues.