Aspirin can inhibit gastric mucosal cyclo-oxygenase without causing lesions in rat.

Dose-response relationships between aspirin-induced cyclo-oxygenase inhibition and gastric mucosal injury were studied in rats. Oral or parenteral aspirin, 25 mg/kg, inhibited prostaglandin generation by 87%-95% at 1, 3, and 6 h with no lesion formation. Aspirin, 100 mg/kg, inhibited prostaglandin generation by 95%-98% at 1, 3, and 6 h, but lesions were observed only when aspirin was given orally. Three-hour pretreatment with intraperitoneal aspirin, 12.5 mg/kg, did not enhance the mucosal injury caused by 10 mM acidified taurocholate, although prostaglandin generation was inhibited by 80%. Pretreatment with 25 mg/kg aspirin inhibited prostaglandin generation by 89% and was associated with significant mucosal injury by acidified taurocholate. We conclude that aspirin-induced 95% inhibition of gastric mucosal cyclo-oxygenase is not, by itself, sufficient to produce lesions and inhibition by greater than 80% is required to predispose the gastric mucosa to injury by otherwise mild irritants.

Measurement of prostaglandin E2 in interstitial fluid from the dog stomach after feeding and indomethacin.

The purpose of the study was to develop a method for collecting interstitial fluid bathing the stomach tissues in which prostaglandins could be measured. Hollow dialysis fibers attached at the ends to Silastic tubes were surgically implanted into the submucosa of the gastric fundus and antrum of dogs. The Silastic tubes were exteriorized through the body wall. After full recovery from surgery, the fibers were filled with 5% bovine serum albumin in isotonic saline that was replaced at 5-min intervals. Prostaglandin E2 was measured in the dialysate by radioimmunoassay. In 6 dogs, feeding significantly stimulated the release of prostaglandin E2 into the fundic interstitial fluid from 5.3 +/- 0.6 ng X ml-1 to 12.1 +/- 1.6 ng X ml-1 (p less than 0.01) but had no effect on antral levels. In 4 dogs, indomethacin (0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 ng X kg-1, i.v.) caused a dose-dependent depression in prostaglandin E2 levels in interstitial fluid of the fundus and antrum. In 4 other dogs, indomethacin depressed the ex vivo generation of prostaglandin E2 in biopsy specimens of the fundus and antrum. These results validate the technique of interstitial fluid dialysis and suggest that it is a powerful method for examining the secretion of locally acting substances in the stomach of conscious animals.

Regional gastric mucosal blood flow measurements by hydrogen gas clearance in the anesthetized rat and rabbit.

Hydrogen gas clearance using 3% hydrogen in air and platinum contact electrodes was employed for measuring antral and corpus mucosal blood flow in anesthetized animals. Significantly greater antral than corpus mucosal blood flow was consistently demonstrated. Corpus but not antral mucosal blood flow showed a significant dose-related increase with intravenous pentagastrin. Vasopressin induced a significant dose-related decrease in both antral and corpus mucosal blood flow. Simultaneous measurement of basal corpus mucosal blood flow by hydrogen gas clearance and of gastric mucosal blood flow by aminopyrine clearance gave similar values, but the changes with intravenous pentagastrin or vasopressin measured by aminopyrine clearance were of a much higher order of magnitude. Hydrogen gas clearance, however, reflected changes in left gastric artery blood flow much more closely than did aminopyrine clearance. Therefore, we conclude that the hydrogen gas clearance technique as described is valid for measuring regional gastric mucosal blood flow. It is safe and has potential application in human studies.