Effect of cimetidine on human gastric and duodenal prostanoid synthesis.

In 13 patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer, biopsies were obtained from the stomach body and antrum and from the duodenal bulb before and, in 10, after 4 weeks of cimetidine treatment (1 g/day). The specimens were organ-cultured for 90 min, and prostanoid accumulation in the medium was determined by radio-immunoassay. After 4 weeks of cimetidine treatment, prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha synthesis by cultured specimens obtained from the body of the stomach (1304 +/- 197 and 497 +/- 124, no. +/- 10) was significantly higher than their respective synthesis before therapy (734 +/- 90 and 222 +/- 26; no. = 13) (X +/- SE, pg/mg wet wt/90 min). Prostanoid synthesis by cultured specimens from the antrum and duodenum was not significantly different before and after cimetidine treatment. It is therefore suggested that cimetidine, in addition to its antisecretory effects, accelerates ulcer healing also by induction of endogenous gastric prostanoid synthesis.