title: The effect of prostacyclin on the gastric mucosa in portal-hypertensive rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kishihara
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashizume
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawanaka
authors.forename: Morimasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomikawa
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanoue
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000431:Ethanol; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; D011464:Epoprostenol