Basic Biological Sciences

Abstract
The proliferation of bovine odontogenic epithelial (OE) and mesenchymal (OM) cells cultured in the presence of varying concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was examined. After a delay of two to three d, EGF-supplemented cultures contained significantly more cells than did controls. This effect was dose-dependent, was maximal at 10-9 g EGF/ml for OE and 10-8 g EGF/ml for OM, and was dependent on the presence of serum in the culture medium. The results suggest the possibility that EGF may play a role in the control of odontogenic cell proliferation in vivo.