Trophic action of epidermal growth factor on human duodenal mucosa cultured in vitro.

The action of epidermal growth factor on the human duodenal mucosa has been studied by estimating the crypt cell production rate in cultured explants, using a stathmokinetic technique with crypt microdissection. The addition of epidermal growth factor (400 ng/ml) to paired explants from five patients caused an almost fivefold increase in the crypt cell production rate, showing that epidermal growth factor has a trophic action on the human duodenal mucosa in vitro.