title: Use of scavenging oxygen-derived free radicals to protect the rat against aspirin- and ethanol-induced erosive gastritis.
abstract: Oxygen-derived free radicals are cytotoxic and produce tissue damage. The effect of the radical scavengers allopurinol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on aspirin- and ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury was studied in the rat. Orogastric instillation of aspirin at 200 mg/kg produced, after 4 h, gastric mucosal injury in 30% of rats without pyloric ligation [score, 3.1 +/- 0.8 mm2, mean +/- standard error of the mean (SEM); n = 10] and in 80% of rats with this ligation (score, 10.4 +/- 1.2 mm2, mean +/- SEM; n = 10). Gavage with 1 mL of 2 or 5% allopurinol or DMSO at 24 h before and again just before aspirin administration completely protected rats with or without pyloric ligation against injury. Orogastric instillation of ethanol (1 mL of a 40% solution) produced, after 1 h, gastric mucosal injury in all rats with or without pyloric ligation (24.1 +/- 1.7 and 14.1 +/- 1.3 mm2, respectively, mean +/- SEM; n = 10). Gavage with 1 mL of 5% allopurinol or DMSO at 24 h before and again just before ethanol administration completely protected rats with or without pyloric ligation against injury. Protection against the aspirin- and ethanol-induced injury was not associated with any significant effect on the H+ output. The results suggest that oxygen-derived free radicals are directly implicated in the mechanism of aspirin- and ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury and that scavenging these free radicals protects against injury by maintaining the integrity of the gastric mucosa.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Salim
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000633:toxicity*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005756:Gastritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D000431:Ethanol; D000493:Allopurinol; D001241:Aspirin; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide