Evidence of the gastric cytoprotective effects of vitamin A, atropine and cimetidine on the development of gastric mucosal damage produced by administration of indomethacin in healthy subjects.

Certain compounds such as prostaglandins, atropine, cimetidine and carotenes are able to prevent the development of gastric mucosal damage produced in experimental animals or in man by intragastric administration of necrotizing agents such as indomethacin without significantly inhibiting gastric acid secretion. The clinical background of this gastric cytoprotection and its importance for man is not yet known, although the beneficial effects of these compounds have been demonstrated in human therapy. In the present study, carried out in 66 healthy human subjects, it was found that vitamin A at a dose of 100,000 IU i.m., atropine at 0.125 mg i.m., and cimetidine at 12.5 mg i.m., which doses do not inhibit the gastric basal secretion nor the maximal secretory response to pentagastrin stimulation, each prevented the gastric microbleeding produced by the oral application of indomethacin. It is concluded that this gastric cytoprotection, characteristic of prostaglandins but extending to atropine, cimetidine and vitamin A, holds good in man as well as experimental animals. Thus the potential clinical significance of gastric cytoprotection induced by these compounds may be considerable.