title: The 5-HT4 receptor agonist mosapride attenuates inflammation of reflux esophagitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic inflammatory processes and gastric contents related esophageal mucosal injury are two major characteristics of reflux esophagitis RE). This study was aimed to establish a rat model fitting RE major characteristics and to investigate the effects of mosapride, one of the 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT)4 receptor agonists, on mucosal inflammation in RE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat RE model was established by pyloric clip and section ligation-induced chronic acid reflux esophagitis. Animal body weight and survival was monitored. Animals were treated with 0.1 mg/kg/d, 0.5 mg/kg/d, or 2.5 mg/kg/d mosapride by gavage. Gastric emptying was examined. After two weeks, pathological changes of the esophagus were determined and endothelin-1 (ED-1) expression in esophageal tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed in the gastric emptying of RE rats after different doses of mosapride treatment (P > 0.05). Gross examination and pathological evaluation revealed that either 0.5 mg/kg/d or 2.5 mg/kg/d mosapride treatment attenuated the mucosal inflammation of RE, but a lower mosapride dose (0.1 mg/kg/d) had limited esophagoprotective effects (P > 0.05). Mosapride treatment greatly decreased the number of ED-1 positive monocytes in the esophagus compared with sham-operated controls (P < 0.05). 5-HT4 receptor and acetylcholine (Ach) receptor antagonists effectively reversed the protective effects of mosapride (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrated that mosapride attenuated the mucosal inflammation of RE, suggesting that mosapride might provide esophagoprotective effects in addition to its well-known prokinetic actions.
authors.forename: Ze-Hao
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Fang-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Du-Peng
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jia-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li-Yong
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4; D058828:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D009025:Morpholines; D058828:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Agonists; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4; C062720:mosapride