Effect of PGF2 alpha administered in cytoprotective and antisecretory doses on the ethanol- and HCl-induced gastric mucosal damage and gastric mucosal superoxide dismutase activity in rats.

Gastric mucosal damage was provoked by the topical application of 96% ethanol (1 ml) or 0.6 M HCl, (1 ml) by the method of Robert et al. [11]. Different doses of PGF2 alpha 100, 200 and 400 micrograms/kg) were given ip 30 min before the administration of the necrotizing agents. The animals were killed 1 hr after the application of the necrotizing agents. The number and severity of gastric lesions (ulcers) were recorded. Gastric mucosal superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was measured by the method of Misra and Fridovich [8]. It was found that: PGF2 alpha dose-dependently decreased the number and severity of gastric lesions produced by 96% ethanol or 0.6 M HCl: gastric mucosal superoxide dismutase activity could be increased significantly by PGF2 alpha in the HCl-model: gastric mucosal superoxide dismutase activity could be significantly decreased by PGF2 alpha administration in the ethanol-model: no significant difference was obtained between the ulcer preventive effect of PGF2 alpha and the changes in the gastric mucosal SOD activity. It was concluded that: the ulcer preventive effect of PGF2 alpha partly depends on the scavanger mechanism (in the ethanol-model): the cytoprotective (100 micrograms/kg) and by antisecretory (400 micrograms/kg) doses of PGF2 alpha; exert similar effects on the changes of gastric mucosal SOD activity.