[Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on water immersion restraint stress ulcer of rats].

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has been used in the medical treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases. In this study, UDCA-supplemented rats were investigated to elucidate the role of UDCA in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal lesions induced by water immersion restraint stress. In UDCA-administered rats, the increase of gastric mucosal lipid peroxide (LOP) and ulcer index after 2 hour's stress were prevented as compared with the rats fed on standard diet to serve as the control. In addition, the increase of serum and gastric mucosal catalase after the stress were also suppressed. These results suggested that antioxidant effect of UDCA on the lipid peroxidation may play a role in prevention of gastric lesions induced by water immersion restraint stress.