Hemodynamic Effects of Epidermal Growth Factor in Conscious Rats and Monkeys

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1996-05, Vol.93 (10), p.4957-4961
• Main Authors: Keiser, Joan A., Ryan, Michael J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cardiovascular Agents - administration & dosage; Cardiovascular Agents - pharmacology; Dosage; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epidermal Growth Factor - administration & dosage; Epidermal Growth Factor - pharmacology; Heart rate; Heart Rate - drug effects; Hemodynamics; Hemodynamics - drug effects; Hormones; Human resources; Humans; Hypertension; Infusions, Intravenous; Macaca fascicularis; Male; Molecular biology; Monkeys; Monkeys & apes; Peptide Fragments - administration & dosage; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Primates; Rats; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Rodents; Species Specificity
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.10.4957

The therapeutic application of growth factors to human disease has become closer to reality with the advent of faster means of synthesizing these molecules and novel drug delivery strategies. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) belongs to a large family of molecules with the ability to modulate growth. Purified extracts of EGF have been used clinically to modulate gastrointestinal secretion of hormones and accelerate healing. EGF is also reported to have both vascular smooth muscle contractile and relaxing activity. Cardiovascular studies were performed with the bioactive 48-amino acid fragment of human EGF in rodents and primates to determine the effects of EGF on blood pressure and heart rate in conscious animals. Intravenous infusion of EGF induced an initial pressor response in rats followed by a prolonged decrease in blood pressure. In contrast, in monkeys, EGF had dose-related blood pressure-lowering effects only; significant hypotension was observed at doses ranging from 3 to 300 μ g/kg i.v. Hypotension was associated with modest tachycardia in both species. To our knowledge, this is the first report of hemodynamic effects of EGF in primates, and it clearly documents that the mitogenic role of growth factors such as EGF is but one aspect of their physiology.