Abstract
Metabolism of DWP401, recombinant juman epidermal growth factor, was examined in vivo and in vitro in rats. When $^{125}I$-labeled DWP401 was administered at a dose of 50 ${\mu}g$/kg by i.v. injection. $^{125}I$-labeled DWP401 was rapidly degraded within 30 minytes above 93%. Thin layer chromatography analysis of urine collected for 24 hr after i.v. administration of $^{125}I$-labeled DWP401 showed ohly one spot on a X-ray film which was considered as diiodo-tyrosine. This result suggests tha $^{125}I$-labeled DWP401 was completely digested into free amino acids without any specific intermediate polypeptides. About 42.1% of the administered iodine was recovered in 24 hr. For in vitro degradation study, $^{125}I$-labeled DWP401 was added to plama and tissue homogenates of rats and incubated at $37^{\circ}C$. Almost 98% of the added radioactivity recovered from the protein fraction of the liver, kidey, small intestine, stomach and spleen decreased rapidly. For examplem the recovery rates of $^{125}I$-labeled DWP401 were 58.6, 63.2, 39.9, 52.9 and 66.8% after 4hrs of incubation in respective organ homogenates.