The protective effect and mechanism of epidermal growth factor on necrotizing enterocolitis in a neonatal rat model

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common acquired gastrointestinal emergency in premature infants. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on NEC in a neonatal rat model. METHODS: We randomly divided 50 newborn SD rats into a control group, NEC group, NEC + 50 ng/mL EGF group, NEC + 500 ng/mL EGF group, and NEC + 1,000 ng/mL EGF group, with 10 cases in each group. The appearance of intestinal tissue, physiological status score, inflammatory factor level, HE staining, and pathological score were used to evaluate the protective effect. A one cm tissue sample from the proximal ileum of the ileocecal area of five rats from the NEC group and the group that showed a significant protective effect were extracted for transcriptome sequencing. RESULTS: The levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the intestinal mucosa in the NEC + 500 ng/mL EGF group were significantly lower than those in the NEC + 1,000 ng/mL EGF group (P<0.05). Transcriptome sequencing suggested that EGF effects the intestinal barrier, apoptosis, and inflammation of the NEC intestine. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the oral administration of 500 ng/mL EGF effectively inhibits intestinal inflammation in NEC neonatal rat models, thereby affecting the barrier function of the intestinal tract.