Endogenous nitric oxide modulates ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Endothelium-derived relaxing factor regulates vascular tone via vasodilation. The relative contribution of endogenous nitric oxide to the pathophysiology of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal microcirculatory disturbances was investigated in anesthetized rats.


METHODS
Macroscopic and microscopic gastric mucosal damage and gastric mucosal hemodynamics including blood flow and hemoglobin oxygen saturation (ISO2) were assessed by pretreatment with a specific NO synthase inhibitor, N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), before and after intragastric administration of ethanol.


RESULTS
Pretreatment with L-NNA significantly increased macroscopic (7.7-fold) and microscopic damage caused by 30% ethanol. Concurrent administration of L-arginine, but not D-arginine, significantly reduced the increase in mucosal damage. Similar results were obtained with 60% ethanol. Pretreatment with L-NNA decreased both mucosal blood flow and ISO2 in the basal period and enhanced decreases in both mucosal blood flow (2.7-fold) and ISO2 (4.3-fold) induced by 30% ethanol compared with controls. Concurrent administration of L-arginine, but not D-arginine, significantly inhibited the effect of L-NNA on blood flow and ISO2 in the basal period as well as after intragastric administration of 30% ethanol.


CONCLUSIONS
Endogenous NO modulates ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury through the regulation of gastric mucosal microcirculation.
Masuda
E
E
First Department of Medicine, Osaka University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kawano
S
S
Nagano
K
K
Tsuji
S
S
Takei
Y
Y
Tsujii
M
M
Oshita
M
M
Michida
T
T
Kobayashi
I
I
Nakama
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D019335:Nitroarginine; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*
D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000431:Ethanol; D001120:Arginine