title: Gastric mucosal cytoprotection in the rat by cysteine.
abstract: The free radical scavengers methyl-methionine sulphonium bromide and cysteine (5%) protected the rat gastric mucosa against ischaemic injury produced by reserpine (5 mg kg-1 i.p.). Pretreatment with 1 mL of 5% cysteine by gavage completely protected against injury rats with no ligation and 70% of rats with pyloric ligation after they had been given aspirin (200 mg kg-1 by gavage), a dose that produced gastric mucosal injury in 40% of rats with no ligation and 70% of rats with pyloric ligation after 4 h. Ethanol (1 mL of 40% solution by gavage) after 1 h produced gastric mucosal injury in all animals and pretreatment with 1 mL of 5% cysteine by gavage completely protected 80% of non-ligated and 70% of pyloric-ligated rats against this injury. This protection was not associated with any significant effect on H+ output. The data suggest that cysteine maintains gastric mucin by a mechanism independent of acid secretion.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000633:toxicity; D003545:Cysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D008715:Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012110:Reserpine / Q000633:toxicity; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D000431:Ethanol; D012110:Reserpine; D008715:Methionine; C038344:methionine methyl ester; D003545:Cysteine; D001241:Aspirin