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Fetuses swallow large volumes of amniotic fluid. Absence of swallowing results in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) growth deficits. While it is not yet known to what extent the growth factors present in amniotic fluid are involved in GIT ontogeny, milk-derived growth factors are considered to be important for neonatal growth. Our experiment tested the hypothesis that a luminal growth factor (insulin-like growth factor-I, IGF-I) can sustain or promote GIT growth in utero in a model of gastrointestinal tract growth retardation. Ten-day infusion of either human recombinant IGF-I or vehicle into twin fetal sheep at 80 days gestation via an indwelling esophageal catheter resulted in altered GIT growth. Weight of the forestomach and small intestine increased. Significant histological changes were noted in the proximal small intestine, i.e. the region most exposed to the luminal infusion. Mucosal tissues were reduced in size. While the enterocytes in the proximal small intestine were generally more mature with regard to the ontogeny of the apical endocytic complex (which is responsible for uptake and transport of whole peptides), there were also many abnormal cytological features present. These included the development of large lysosomal-like inclusion bodies and many surfactant-like particles within the apical cytoplasm. Plasma IGF-I levels were on average 20% higher in treated siblings, suggesting that luminal IGF-I crossed the fetal gut and entered blood. IGF-II levels were not significantly affected. These observations are consistent with the suggestion that growth factors, which are present in swallowed amniotic fluid, influence fetal ontogeny.

Journal of Endocrinology (1997) 152, 29–38

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