Effect of exposure of the gastric mucosa of albino rats to a mild irritant on the development of stress ulcer

ABSTRACT

Fifty adult male albino rats were used to study the effect of orogastric administration of a mild irritant; 0.3 NHcl on the development of stress ulcer induced by restraint, cold-restraint and water immersion as compared to a control nonstressed group. All forms of stress produced a significant decrease in volume, total acid output and pepsin output with no significant change in acid or in pepsin concentrations of gastric juice. A significant decrease in gastric mucosal PGE2 was also observed and would account for the gross mucosal lesions found in the stomachs of the stressed groups. Orogastric administration of 0.3 NHcl had no effect on the gastric juice changes produced by the stressors. However, it reduced markedly the various scores of the ulcer lesions probably secondary to preservation of gastric mucosal PGE2, and adaptive cytoprotection