The effect of acetyl salicylic acid and indomethacin on cell proliferation kinetics in the human gastric mucosa.

To determine the effect of acetyl salicylic acid and Indomethacin on the rate of cell proliferation in the human gastric stomach, 6 healthy volunteers received daily 3 g of acetyl salicylic acid or 150 mg of indomethacin for one week in a double-blind crossover trial. Cell proliferation was assessed by means of tritiated thymidine and autoradiography. The labelling index did not change, indicating that cell proliferation to compensate for the exfoliation caused by ASA and indomethacin does not increase.