title: Protection against stress-induced acute gastric mucosal injury by free radical scavengers.
abstract: This study investigated whether the free radical scavengers allopurinol (50 mg p.o. q.i.d.) and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO, 500 mg p.o. q.i.d.) influence the incidence of stress-induced acute gastric mucosal injury in patients with pelvic fractures and hypovolaemic shock. In 177 fully evaluable patients (control n = 58, allopurinol n = 62, DMSO n = 57), endoscopically proven stress-induced injury evolved in a significantly (p less than 0.01) larger number of controls relative to either group on active therapy. During the first 3 days after hospitalization, 13 controls (22%) developed the injury whereas only 2 patients in each of the allopurinol (3%) and DMSO (4%) groups had this injury. Of these cases, 8 controls (14%) and one patient in the allopurinol group (2%) deteriorated and underwent emergency surgery, however 3 of the controls (5%) died in the immediate post-operative period. The results suggest that oxygen-derived free radicals are directly implicated in stress-induced acute gastric mucosal injury and that removing them protects against this injury and its complications.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Centre, Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Salim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000493:Allopurinol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications*; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000009:adverse effects; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012769:Shock / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D000493:Allopurinol; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide