Effect of nicotine, alcohol and caffeine pretreatment on the gastric mucosal damage induced by aspirin, phenylbutazone and reserpine in rats.

The effects of nicotine (2.5 mg/100 ml), alcohol (25% v/v) and caffeine (30 mg/100 ml base) and their combination (nicotine, 2.5 mg/100 ml; alcohol, 25% v/v; and caffeine, 30 mg/100 ml base) fed in drinking water ad libitum for 21 days were studied on the gastric mucosal damage induced by aspirin, phenylbutazone and reserpine in rats. When given alone, none of them produced any visibly discernible gastric lesions. Their concurrent administration, however, produced some injury to the gastric mucosa which was far less severe than the lesions induced by any of the ulcerogenic drugs used in this study. Pretreatment with nicotine, alcohol and caffeine and their combination resulted in a significant augmentation of gastric lesions produced by aspirin, phenylbutazone and reserpine. These results establish an association between nicotine, alcohol and caffeine in the pathogenesis of gastric ulcers and also implicate them as modifying factors in the genesis of gastric lesions induced by aspirin, phenylbutazone and reserpine.