Effects of sucralfate and its components on indomethacin-induced damage to cultured rabbit gastric mucosal cells.

We examined the effects of sucralfate and its components on indomethacin-induced damage to cultured rabbit gastric mucosal cells. Cell viability was assessed by colorimetric and dye exclusion methods. Exposure of mucosal cells to indomethacin at 50 and 500 microM for 4 hr significantly reduced their viability, the viability loss being bout 40% and about 90% respectively. Pretreatment of the cells with sucralfate for 30 min prevented the reduction in viability caused by 50 microM indomethacin in a dose-related manner. Furthermore, sucralfate also significantly protected mucosal cells against severe damage caused by 500 microM indomethacin. However, neither sucrose octasulfate nor Al(OH)3. (the components of sucralfate) significantly prevented the reduction in viability caused by 50 and 500 microM indomethacin, although these components tended to inhibit the viability loss. When mucosal cells were incubated with sucralfate or its components for 4 hr, the drugs did not affect the cell viability. These results indicate that sucralfate directly protects gastric mucosal cells against cell damage caused by indomethacin, and that the protective effect of sucralfate might be expressed as a synergistic action of its components.