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Epidermal growth factor advances some aspects of development but retards others in both rats and hamsters.

The present experiments were undertaken to confirm the recent suggestion that epidermal growth factor (EGF) can have both retarding and accelerating effects on development, using a greater number of developmental indices than hitherto; to extend such studies to another species, the golden hamster, and to compare the responses of males and females. On each of days 0-3, one male and one female rat pup from each of 16 litters of 6 pups were injected subcutaneously with human EGF (0.5 micrograms/g body weight), one male and one female with vehicle, and the remaining two pups were not injected. As expected, EGF accelerated incisor eruption and eye-opening. However, EGF retarded the detachment of the pinna and the appearance of the auditory startle response. Free-fall righting was little affected. Hamster litters were left undisturbed till day 7 to minimise infanticide. Thereafter, experimental design was as far as possible the same as for the rats. Pups from 18 litters were injected on days 7-10. EGF advanced eye-opening, but retarded auditory startling, vaginal opening and the weaning growth spurt. Free-fall righting was unaffected. Hence, EGF had similar accelerating and retarding effects on development in both rats and hamsters. Also, these effects were the same in males and females for most indices.