The protective effects of a prostaglandin without antisecretory properties aginst ethanol-induced injury in the rat stomach, a histologic study

Abstract

This study examined the effect of 2-acetyl-2- decarboxy-15(S)-15 methyl PGF,, (PGF,,) on ethanol (EtOH) induced injury in the rat stomach to determine if a PG analogue devoid of antisecretory properties could confer full or partial gastric mucosal protection. Rats were orally administered saline or PGF,, in a dose of 0.5 or 5.0 mg1Kg. Thirty minutes later animals received varying concentrations (i.e. 25%, 50%, and 100%) of EtOH orally. Five minutes following EtOH exposure, they were killed and samples taken from identical regions of the glandular mucosa for microscopic evaluation. All concentrations of EtOH tested damaged the gastric epithelium. The injury induced by 25% EtOH was almost exclusively confined to the surface epithelium and was not altered by either dose of PGF,,, pretreatment. In contrast, both 50% and 1(10% EtOH elicited comparable damage to the gastric mucosa involving both the deep and superficial mucosa of virtually the entire epithelium. The deep injury induced by these two EtOH concentrations was prevented by both the low and high dose of PGF,,. Of particular importance the 5.0 mg dose of PGF, provided complete protection (i.e. both superficial and deep) to as much as 50% of the mucosa exposed to 50% or 100% ethanol. These findings indicate that PGF?, possesses ~~cytoprotectivep*r operties involving both the superficial and deep epithelium that are dose related.