Effect of zinc acexamate and ranitidine on chronic gastric lesions in the rat.

Using the rat as an experimental model we have studied the healing of chronic gastric lesions and the modifications of these lesions by antiulcer agents. Gastric injuries were induced by submucosal injection of 0.05 ml of 5% acetic acid. Placebo, ranitidine (RNT) or zinc acexamate (ZAC) were administered orally. The evolution of gastric injuries was macro- and microscopically evaluated at 6, 12 and 21 days after acetic acid injection. The administration of either RNT (30 mg/kg) or ZAC (200 mg/kg) was followed by a marked improvement of the healing process with respect to control groups. The size of experimental ulcers at 21 days was 3.1 +/- 0.8 mm2 for the control group, 1.8 +/- 1.1 mm2 for RNT-treated animals and 0.3 +/- 0.6 mm2 for ZAC-treated rats (p less than 0.05, vs. control). A similar tendency was observed when lesions were microscopically analyzed. Indices of microscopical lesions (0-6) at 21 days were 3.8 +/- 0.8 for the control group, 3.0 +/- 0.8 for rats receiving RNT and 2.3 +/- 0.4 for rats receiving ZAC (p less than 0.05, vs. control). The statistical analysis of the distribution of microscopical indices of lesions showed significant differences in favour of ZAC at days 6 (p less than 0.01) and 21 (p less than 0.05). Our study indicates that the evolution of gastric damage induced by acid acetic injection was consistently better in rats treated with ZAC than in those receiving RNT. Data obtained in our experiments suggest that the blockade of H2 receptors does not guarantee the optimal healing of chronic gastric lesions induced in rats.