Abstract
The developmental changes in epidermal growth factor (EGF) have been studied in tissue homogenates, kidney slices, and microdissected nephron segments of the mouse. Immunoreactive EGF concentration per milligram of protein increased in the kidney by about 20-fold from 1 week to 3 weeks of life, reaching the highest levels between 5 and 7 weeks, and decreasing by 10 weeks of life. The time course of the changes was different from those of submaxillary and urinary EGF. Above 7 weeks of age, kidney EGF was higher in female than in male mice. Among various zones of the kidney (outer cortex, inner cortex, outer medulla I, II and papilla), the outer medulla I and II contained the highest quantities of EGF per gram of wet tissue. The highest EGF content per millimeter length was observed in the medullary and cortical thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop. The amounts exceeded by about 4.5-fold those found in glomeruli and in proximal convoluted and proximal straight tubules, and by about 3-fold those present in distal and collecting tubules. Unilateral nephrectomy resulted in no significant changes in EGF levels in the contralateral kidney. The results suggest that the ontogeny of kidney EGF is different from that of the EGF found in the submaxillary gland, and that there is nephron heterogeneity in EGF content.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carpenter G, Cohen S (1979) Epidermal growth factor. Annu Rev Biochem 48: 193–216
Byyny RL, Orth DN, Cohen S (1972) Radioimmunoassay of epidermal growth factor. Endocrinology 90: 1261–1266
Byyny RL, Orth DN, Cohen S, Doyne ES (1974) Epidermal growth factor: effects of androgens and adrenergic agents. Endocrinology 95: 776–782
Nonoguchi H, Uchida S, Shiigai T, Endou H (1985) Effect of chronic metabolic acidosis on ammonia production from L-glutamine in microdissected rat nephron segments. Pflügers Arch 403: 229–235
Savage CR Jr, Cohen S (1972) Epidermal growth factor and a new derivative: rapid isolation procedures and biological and chemical characterization. J Biol Chem 247: 7609–7611
Hunter WM, Greenwood FC (1962) Preparation of iodine-131 labelled human growth hormone of high specific activity. Nature 194: 495–496
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193: 265–275
Rall LB, Scott J, Bell GI, Crawford RB, Penshow JD, Niall HD, Coghlan JP (1985) Mouse prepro-epidermal growth factor synthesis by the kidney and other tissues. Nature 313: 228–231
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oka, Y., Fujiwara, K. & Endou, H. Epidermal growth factor in the mouse kidney: developmental changes and intranephron localizations. Pediatr Nephrol 2, 124–128 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00870392
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00870392