Role of Epidermal Growth Factor in Gastroprotection and Ulcer Healing

Abstract

The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract is one of the most rapidly proliferating tissues in the body. Proliferation and growth are balanced by cell loss through exfoliation of the surface cells, so that under normal conditions the cell population is maintained at a dynamic steady state (1). Most newly produced cells migrate rapidly from the regeneration zone to the surface and differentiate into the mucous cells of the surface epithelium. The migration time required to replace the total surface epithelial cells is about 3 days in the rat (2) and 4-6 days in man (3,4). Because of the rapid turnover of mucosal cell populations, any alteration in the processes regulating the growth is likely to produce functional changes and may lead either to mucosal atrophy or ulcerations when the cell loss exceeds cell regeneration or to hyperplasia when the production of cells is increased or their life is prolonged.