Select growth factors, including epidermal growth factor and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor like growth factor, demonstrate some beneficial effects in experimental and clinical intestinal injury demonstrated in necrotizing enterocolitis.
Our data suggest that if validated in larger studies screening for HB-EGF SNPs/genotypes and plasma levels may be useful as a risk factor for NEC in the future.
Interestingly, factors that prevent NEC such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) attenuate the inflammatory response in the mid-gestation human small intestine using serum-free organ culture while drugs that are associated with NEC occurrence such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, indomethacin (INDO), exert multiple detrimental effects on the immature human intestine.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF), typically found in bodily fluids, such as amniotic fluid, salvia and mother's breast milk, is an intestinotrophic growth factor and may reduce the onset of NEC in premature infants.
The apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter was up-regulated at the site of injury in animals with NEC and decreased after EGF treatment; however, the ileal bile acid binding protein was up-regulated only in the NEC and EGF group.
Collectively, the data strongly suggest a potential therapeutic role for the use of HB-EGF to treat intestinal ischemic diseases such as I/R and necrotizing enterocolitis.