Immunolocalisation of Insulin-Like Growth Factors and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in the Bovine Mammary Gland

Preparation of the mammary gland for lactation takes place throughout foetal and postnatal life and results from many complex interactions. The cyclical events of mammary growth and differentiation that occur during pregnancy and lactation are controlled by various polypeptide and steroid hormones. However, following the discovery of various growth factors increasing evidence has accumulated indicating that these growth factors may play an important role in the control of mammary growth and differentiation by complementing or mediating the hormonal action. Here, we studied the localisation of insulin-like growth factors (IGF’s) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in mammary tissue of cows.