Expression of EGF and EGFR in Developing Skin of the Goat Fetus

The study investigated the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) in the developing skin of goat fetuses using histological and immunohistochemical methods. It was found that the epidermis formed by the 6th gestational week, with its thickness increasing and then decreasing after the 15th week. The dermis appeared by the 10th week, with dermal derivatives forming after the 11th week. EGF and EGFR expression was low at the 6th week but increased as development progressed, with EGF primarily located in the cytoplasm and EGFR on cell membranes. From the 11th to 16th week, their expression expanded to include various skin cells, and by the 17th week, EGF was mainly in basal layer and hair follicular cells. The study concluded that EGF and EGFR were crucial for skin development, with their expression increasing throughout gestational weeks 6 to 21.