Central effects of adenosine analogs on stress-induced gastric ulcer formation.

Rats subjected to restraint stress developed gastric lesions that could be reduced by R-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) administered intracerebroventricularly. This protective effect was reversed by 8-sulfophenyltheophylline given centrally, and by peripherally administered 8-phenyltheophylline. These results suggest that central adenosine receptors mediate the effect. In subsequent studies it was found that if the absolute level of ulcer formation in control rats was low, R-PIA had no ulcer protective effect. Thus, although it appears that adenosine receptors are important in attenuating pathological gastric responses to stress, this attenuation seems to be dependent on the level of ulcer formation in control animals.