Omeprazole is more effective than famotidine for preventing acute gastritis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Acute gastric mucosal lesions, which can develop within a few hours after polytrauma, shock, major operations, central nervous system lesions, or severe infection, cause about 33% of cases of gastrointestinal bleeding. We analyzed and compared the effectiveness of famotidine and omeprazole on acute gastric mucosal lesions.


METHODS
Thirty male albino Wistar rats were given ketalar anesthesia after 12 h fasting, then immobilized and exposed to stress according to Brodie's protocol, without restricting their respiration. We divided the rats into three groups of ten according to whether they were given famotidine, omeprazole, or normal saline (control group). All rats were ulcer-indexed according to the diameter of their ulcers. The stomach contents were aspirated for acid output and pH analysis, and sent to the laboratory. The total number of mast cells was also counted.


RESULTS
Omeprazole was more effective than famotidine in keeping gastric pH high and lowering the total gastric acid output. Lower ulcer indexes in acute gastric mucosal erosions and better protected mucosal integrity were found in the omeprazole-treated rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Omeprazole prevents acute gastric mucosal erosions in rats more effectively than famotidine.
Department of General Surgery, Haydarpaşa Teaching Hospital, Kadikoy, Usküdar, Istanbul, Turkey.
Umit
U
Topaloglu
Tolga
T
Muftuoglu
Zekeriya
Z
Akturk
Huseyin
H
Ekinci
Onder
O
Peker
Selcuk
S
Unalmiser
D000818:Animals; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002452:Cell Count; D015738:Famotidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D005756:Gastritis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011292:Premedication; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000473:pathology
D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D015738:Famotidine; D009853:Omeprazole