Ontogeny of epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha, epidermal growth factor receptor, and thyroid hormone receptor RNA levels in rat kidney and changes in those levels induced by early thyroxine treatment.

Ontogenic changes in the mRNA levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-alpha, EGF receptor, and thyroid hormone receptor (r-erbA) were examined in developing rat kidneys. The mRNA levels of both EGF and thyroid hormone receptor rose dramatically during the postnatal period with the rise in thyroid hormone receptor message preceding the rise in EGF message. In addition, we examined renal mRNA levels in 1-wk-old rats treated with thyroxine (T4) from birth through d 6. Neonatal T4 treatment augmented the renal mRNA levels of EGF but decreased the levels of EGF-receptor and transforming growth factor-alpha. T4 treatment did not significantly affect the levels of renal mRNA for thyroid hormone receptor. Although the EGF and transforming growth factor-alpha peptides are similar and interact with the same receptor, our findings indicate that these homologous growth factors are regulated differently during development. In addition, hormones that influence growth and development, such as T4, may function both as positive and negative regulators of growth factor expression.