[Pharmacological study on Agkistrodon blomhoffii blomhoffii BOIE. I. Effect of the 50% ethanolic extract on experimental gastric ulceration].

Anti-ulcerogenic activities of a 50% ethanolic extract [( M]) from whole body of Agkistrodon blomhoffii blomhoffii BOIE were investigated in rats. [M] at oral doses of 250-500 mg/kg was found to show a prophylactic effect on the water-immersion stress- and ethanol-induced ulcer and a remedial effect on acetic acid-induced ulcer, but not Shay-ulcer in pylorus-ligated rats and indomethacin-induced ulcer. [M] increased the gastric mucosal blood flow in intact rats and improved the decrease of the blood flow in acetic acid-induced ulcer rats. [M] inhibited the decrease in content of hexosamine of gastric mucosa in rats treated with acetic acid. These results suggest that [M] have a prophylactic effect on ulcerogenics, and an anti-ulcer effect by the increase and/or maintenance of gastric mucosal blood flow and hexosamine, but further investigations are required to understand the mechanism involved.