title: Effects of autonomic nervous system on gastric damage by ethanol in the rat.
abstract: To study whether or not the autonomic nervous system influences the defense mechanisms of the gastric mucosa, groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were given stimulants and inhibitors of the different components of the vagus and celiac nerves before administration of absolute or 70% w/v ethanol. The effects of vagotomy and sympathectomy on "adaptive cytoprotection" were studied, as were the effects of blocking the muscarinic receptors and stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors. We found that: (1) cholinomimetic agents and norepinephrine make the damage caused by 70% ethanol worse; (2) atropine is the only agent that fully protects against absolute ethanol; (3) vagotomy and sympathectomy abolish the effects of atropine and adaptive cytoprotection; and (4) beta-adrenergic stimulation replaces conditions that allow adaptive cytoprotection and the protection by anticholinergics. These results suggest that two different reflexes are triggered by ethanol: when low concentrations are given, the beta-adrenergic-mediated effect is prevalent, with protection of the mucosa; when high concentrations are given, the cholinergic-mediated effect is prevalent with damage of the mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences L. Sacco, Department of Surgery, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Foschi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castoldi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Soldato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musazzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Callioni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rovati
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trabucchi
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Montorsi
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002447:Celiac Plexus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013562:Sympathectomy; D014628:Vagotomy; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol