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Cytoprotection and intracellular calcium.
1Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Dept. of Psychiatry, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University, Szeged, Hungary.
Journal of Physiology, Paris
|February 16, 2000
Summary
Prostacyclin increases gastric calmodulin levels in rats. This effect, and prostacyclin
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Prostacyclin is known to have protective effects on the gastric mucosa.
- The precise mechanisms underlying prostacyclin's cytoprotective actions are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of calmodulin and calcium ions in mediating the gastric cytoprotective effects of prostacyclin in rats.
Main Methods:
- Rats were treated with prostacyclin to measure gastric mucosal calmodulin levels.
- The effects of prostacyclin were assessed in conjunction with calcium channel blockers (verapamil) and anti-calmodulin drugs (diazepam, trifluoperazine).
Main Results:
- Prostacyclin administration led to an increased calmodulin level in the gastric mucosa (antrum and fundus).
- The cytoprotective effect of prostacyclin was significantly inhibited by verapamil, diazepam, and trifluoperazine.
Conclusions:
- Calcium ions and calcium-activated calmodulin are likely involved in the mechanism of prostacyclin's gastric cytoprotective effect.
- These findings suggest a novel pathway for prostacyclin action in the stomach.