title: The relationship of cimetidine to 5-hydroxytryptamine tissue levels in stress ulceration in the rat.
abstract: We studied the effect of cimetidine on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels in various tissues in restrained rats. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into four groups, received four intraperitoneal injections at 6-hour intervals in doses determined by body weight. Group I (control) was injected with saline (1 ml/300 gm) and was not restrained. Group II was injected with saline (1 ml/300 gm) and restrained for 18 hours beginning 1 hour after the first injection. Group III was injected with cimetidine (100 mg/kg) and was not restrained, whereas Group IV was injected with cimetidine (100 mg/kg) and restrained according to the schedule for Group II. The rats were killed and their stomachs were collected and graded for ulceration. 5-Hydroxytryptamine levels in the antrum and fundus of the stomach, the colon, the liver, and rectus abdominis muscle were determined by spectrophotofluorometry. Cimetidine prevented an increase in 5-HT in the antrum and protected against ulceration. As 5-HT levels in other tissues were not altered by restraint-induced stress, the phenomenon may be specific to the antrum. The protection against ulceration and elevated 5-HT levels conferred by cimetidine was comparable to that of vagotomy in similar models.
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003106:Colon / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis*; D013270:Stomach / Q000032:analysis; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D002927:Cimetidine