Nitric oxide-mediated mucus hypersecretion protects the stomach of ovariectomized rats

The actions of ovariectomy on nitric oxide synthase (assessed by the citrullin assay), mucus secretion (assessed by the Alcyan blue technique) and ulcerogenic response (indomethacin (30 mg kg(-1), s.c. , 4 h) or cysteamine (400 mg kg(-1), s.c., 24 h)) were studied in the female rat stomach. Ovariectomy increased nitric oxide synthase and mucus secretion, and decreased the severity of lesions, effects reversed by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg kg(-1), s.c., 4 h before measurements). Therefore, estrogen-deficiency protects the gastric mucosa by nitric oxide (NO)-mediated mucus hypersecretion.