[Ranitidine protects the human stomach and duodenal mucosa against low-dose acetylsalicylic acid].

In a randomized double-blind study the gastroduodenal tolerability of 300 mg ASS daily has been evaluated in the presence of 150 mg ranitidine bid or placebo in 20 healthy volunteers using upper GI-endoscopy. The treatment period lasted 14 days. Endoscopic controls were performed at entry, and repeated at day 7 and day 14. At entry, the mean endoscopic score averaged 0.8 +/- 0.1 in the ASS/placebo-group and 1.0 +/- 0.0 in the ASS/ranitidine group. 300 mg ASS daily induced in the placebo experiments marked gastroduodenal alterations both at day 7 and day 14 (4.7 +/- 1.2 and 6.5 +/- 2.1, respectively). Concomitant administration of 150 mg ranitidine bid afforded almost full protection against 300 mg ASS daily both on day 7 and day 14 (1.9 +/- 0.6 and 2.1 +/- 0.8, respectively) (p less than 0.05). Our data suggest that coadministration of ranitidine 150 mg bid reduces almost completely gastroduodenal lesions evoked by acetylsalicylic acid 300 mg daily.