Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Chapter 5. Role of Glucocorticoids and Epidermal Growth Factor in Normal and Abnormal Palatal Development

1984; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0070-2153(08)60396-8

1557-8933

Robert M. Pratt, Chung S. Kim, Robert I. Grove,

Infant Nutrition and Health

This chapter discusses the role of glucocorticoid and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in normal and abnormal palatal development. These hormone/growth factors and their receptors are present during normal embryonic palatal development to provide for the regulation of growth and cellular differentiation. When these hormone/growth factors are administered in pharmacological or large doses that result in teratogenesis, these potent chemicals and their receptors then become inducers of cleft palate. The primary reason for this is that the hormone/growth factor receptors have unique and special areas of localizations in target (embryonic and fetal) tissues, for example, glucocorticoids in the palate. Therefore, large amounts of these chemicals are specifically bound to receptors in these target tissues and these high levels of hormone/growth factor-receptor complexes result in aberrant development, for example, glucocorticoids cause the inhibition of palatal mesenchymal cell growth. These effects are distinct from the interactions of physiological levels of these hormone/growth factors with their receptors in these target tissues during development; for example, glucocorticoids cause the induction of key enzymes and modulation of EGF receptor levels.