title: Cell proliferation in ventromedial hypothalamic lesioned rats inhibits acute gastric mucosal lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of mucosal layer thickness on prevention of acute gastric mucosal lesions (AGMLs) was examined in ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH)-lesioned rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The incidence of AGMLs after 48-h fasting and 60% ethanol injection into the stomach after 24-h fasting, aggressive factors (gastric acid and serum gastrin) and defensive factors [hexosamine, gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF), serum thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS), and thickness of the gastric mucosal layer] were evaluated in VMH-lesioned rats. The effects of cell proliferation on the gastric mucosal layer of these rats were evaluated by H-E staining and immunostaining with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 48-h fasting, no AGMLs were observed in VMH-lesioned and sham VMH-lesioned rats (controls). With 60% ethanol administration after 24-h fasting, the numbers of AGMLs were similar in the two groups, but the ulcer index, a marker of ulcer formation, was lower in VMH-lesioned rats compared to that in sham VMH-lesioned rats. VMH-lesioned rats showed increased gastric acid secretion and serum gastrin compared to sham VMH-lesioned rats, indicating an increase in aggressive factors in VMH-lesioned rats. The two groups had similar levels of gastric mucosal hexosamine, GMBF, and gastric mucosal TBARS, but VMH-lesioned rats had an increased thickness of the mucosal cell layer, indicating an increase in defensive factors in these rats. Histologically, VMH-lesioned rats had an increased total mucosal cell layer, especially for the surface epithelial cell layer, and an increased PCNA-labeling index, a marker of cell proliferation, especially in the proliferative zones of gastric mucosa, indicating increased cell proliferation in the proliferative zone of the gastric mucosa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VMH-lesioned rats are resistant to AGML formation due to increased cell proliferation in gastric mucosa through elevating the levels of defensive factors over those of aggressive factors.
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Noriko
authors: N
authors: Ishizuka
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan. Electronic address:imazeki-no@kiryu-u.ac.jp.
authors: Nobuo
authors: N
authors: Imazeki
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Senoo
authors: FANCL Corporation, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023, Japan.
authors: Junko
authors: J
authors: Sakurai
authors: Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Home Economics, Kyoritsu Women's University Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-8437, Japan.
authors: Masaru
authors: M
authors: Sonoda
authors: Division of Diabetology, Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan.
authors: Masao
authors: M
authors: Kanazawa
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Tosei
authors: T
authors: Takahashi
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Ryota
authors: R
authors: Haba
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Katsumi
authors: K
authors: Arai
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Shimizu
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Kahoru
authors: K
authors: Sasaki
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Masako
authors: M
authors: Kako
authors: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Kaori
authors: K
authors: Hayashi
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
authors: Yuichi
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care, Kiryu University, Midori City, Gunma 379-2392, Japan.
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Inoue