Expression of Gastric Mucosa Trefoil Factor Family 2 and Epidermal Growth Factor during Healing of Experimental Gastric Ulcer in Rats

Using a model of rat gastric ulcer to check the changes of trefoil factor family 2 (TFF2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in gastric mucosa during healing of experimental gastric ulcer. Rats gastric ulceration were caused by injection acetic acid to submucosa of gastric anterior wall. TFF2, EGF peptide were localized by the immunohistochemistry (IHC), and semi-quantitation analyzed with the integrated optical density (IOD) values. The expression of TFF2, EGF mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. The IHC results showed TFF2 positive cells significantly increased at 1 day in gastric ulcer group (GUG), and express strongest at 6 days in GUG.whereas the expression of EGF peptide increased at a later time, which showed a little increased on the day 1 in GUG (vs. normal group, P <; 0.05, vs saline control group, P > 0.05), and obviously increased at 4-10 days. At 10^th d, the IOD of EGF reached the peak. The locations of TFF2 and EGF peptide have the similar characteristics, which showed more stronger expression near the muscularis mucosa, and some positive matters were observed in the cytoplasm parietal cells. In the later time of healing of gastric ulcer (14, 23d), the expressional level of TFF2, EGF peptide showed decreased, but maintained a higher level than normal group (NG) and saline control group (SCG) (P<;0.05). In the results of RT-PCR, TFF2 mRNA showed more stronger expression on the day 4,6 whereas EGF m RNA was on the day 4-23 in GUG.The results suggested that rat gastric mucosae can specificly express TFF2 and EGF at protein and gene level, which co-participate in the process of gastric ulcer healing. but existed difference of expressional phase between them.