Epidermal growth factor deficiency during pregnancy causes abortion in mice.

The concentration of epidermal growth factor in the submandibular gland and plasma of female mice increased substantially during pregnancy. Pregestational sialoadenectomy (removal of the submandibular glands) attenuated the rise in plasma epidermal growth factor during gestation and reduced the number of mice completing a term pregnancy by approximately 50%. Epidermal growth factor replacement therapy given to these mice during pregnancy improved the outcome of complete pregnancy to 86%. The administration of anti-epidermal growth factor antiserum in a daily dose of 50 or 100 microliter to sialoadenectomized pregnant mice increased the percentages of abortion to 67 and 100, respectively. These results suggest that epidermal growth factor may be necessary for the normal course of pregnancy.