Urogastrone-epidermal growth factor is trophic to the intestinal epithelium of parenterally fed rats

Summary The weight of the stomach, small intestine and colon and the mucosal crypt cell production rate of these tissues were significantly decreased after 10 days on an isocaloric TPN diet when compared to orally fed controls. Continuous infusion of recombinant beta urogastrone, at a dose below that needed to inhibit gastric acid secretion, largely prevented this decrease in crypt cell production rate and gastrointestinal tissue weights.     

The invasion and growth of Babesia bovis in tick tissue culture.

Erythrocytic forms of Babesia bovis inoculated into cell cultures of the tick Boophilus microplus invaded the tick cells and showed multiplication for up to 48 h after inoculation.     

Peptides and epithelial growth regulation

There is now considerable evidence implicating several peptides in the control of gastrointestinal epithelial cell proliferation and cell renewal. While some of these may act directly, many may be involved in regulating the powerful trophic effects of the intake and digestion of food on the gut epithelium. Several peptides have been associated with the regulation of intestinal cell proliferation. There is little doubt that gastrin is trophic to the stomach, but, its role in the rest of the gastrointestinal tract is debatable. Enteroglucagon has often been associated with increased intestinal epithelial proliferation, but at the moment all the evidence for this is circumstantial. The effects of peptide YY and bombesin warrant further study. The availability of recombinant epidermal growth factor (EGF) has recently enabled us to demonstrate a powerful trophic response to infused EGF throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The increasing availability of peptides will eventually allow the rigorous in vivo evaluation of the trophic role of these potentially very important peptides.