title: Participation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide but not prostacyclin in the gastric mucosal hyperaemia due to acid back-diffusion.
abstract: 1. The possible participation of prostacyclin and nitric oxide (NO) in the gastric mucosal hyperaemic response to acid back-diffusion through a disrupted gastric mucosal barrier was examined. The experiments were carried out on anaesthetized rats in which acid back-diffusion was elicited by gastric perfusion with dilute ethanol in 0.15 M HCl and gastric mucosal blood flow (MBF) was measured by the hydrogen gas clearance technique. 2. Indomethacin (28 mumols kg-1, s.c.), an inhibitor of the formation of cyclo-oxygenase products including prostacyclin, failed to alter mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), basal MBF and the hyperaemic response to acid back-diffusion in urethane-anaesthetized rats. 3. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 13 and 43 mumols kg-1, i.v.), an inhibitor of endothelium-derived NO formation, increased MAP in a dose-dependent manner. Whilst basal MBF in urethane-anaesthetized rats was not changed, the increase in MBF caused by gastric perfusion with dilute ethanol in acid was dose-dependently depressed by L-NAME. The loss of H+ ions from the gastric lumen, an indirect measure of acid back-diffusion, was significantly enhanced by 43 mumols kg-1 L-NAME. In contrast, D-NAME (13 and 43 mumols kg-1) was without effect on MAP, basal and stimulated MBF, and acid back-diffusion. 4. Unlike in urethane-anaesthetized rats, L-NAME led to a significant reduction of basal MBF in phenobarbitone-anaesthetized rats. MAP in the phenobarbitone-anaesthetized rats was significantly higher than in urethane-anaesthetized rats, and the hypertensive effect of L-NAME under phenobarbitone anaesthesia was significantly smaller than under urethane anaesthesia.5. The rise in MBF brought about by acid back-diffusion was blocked by L-NAME administered to phenobarbitone-anaesthetized rats. Infusion of L-arginine (120 pmol kg -1 min- ', i.v.) led to a partial, but significant, reversal of the effects of L-NAME on MAP and the hyperaemia due to acid back-diffusion.6. These findings indicate that endothelium-derived NO plays an important mediator role in the gastric mucosal vasodilatation caused by back-diffusion whilst vasodilator prostanoids such as prostacyclin are not involved.
authors.affiliation: University of Graz, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Austria.
authors.forename: I T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Lippe
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holzer
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004058:Diffusion; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D014520:Urethane
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D014520:Urethane; D001120:Arginine; D011464:Epoprostenol; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D007213:Indomethacin