The effect of prostacyclin on the gastric mucosa in portal-hypertensive rats.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the effect of prostacyclin, which is thought to be involved in the hemodynamic circulation, on the gastric mucosa of rats with portal hypertension.


METHODS
Various gastric functions were evaluated in portal vein ligated rats after the intraperitoneal administration of either a placebo or prostacyclin for 7 days.


RESULTS
The gastric mucosal damage induced by the instillation of 90% ethanol was significantly greater in the prostacyclin-treated group than in placebo-treated group. The portal pressure was similar in both groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in plasma concentration of 6-keto-PGF1a (a stable metabolite of prostacyclin), whereas the mucosal content of 6-keto-PGF1a was significantly higher in the prostacyclin-treated group than in the placebo-treated group. Prostacyclin pretreatment significantly increased the gastric mucosal blood flow, estimated by laser-Doppler flowmetry, and the hemoglobin content of the gastric mucosa, measured by reflectance spectrophotometry, whereas the oxygen content remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
We speculate that the increased gastric mucosal perfusion induced by a high content of prostacyclin in the portal hypertensive gastric mucosa may play a role in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage.
Kishihara
Fumiaki
F
Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Hashizume
Makoto
M
Ohta
Masayuki
M
Kawanaka
Hirofumi
H
Tomikawa
Morimasa
M
Higashi
Hidefumi
H
Tanoue
Kazuo
K
Sugimachi
Keizo
K
D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000431:Ethanol; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; D011464:Epoprostenol