Famotidine prevents canine gastric blood flow reduction by NSAIDs

To investigate the effect of famotidine on gastric blood flow reduction induced by diclofenac sodium, a common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in Japan, using laser Doppler flowmetry in the canine stomach.

The gastric mucosal blood flow was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry in 15 healthy male beagles before and 60 min after the administration of diclofenac suppository (1.0 mg/kg) into the rectum. The examination was done in a crossover, single-blinded fashion. All dogs underwent both famotidine (0.5 mg/kg) and placebo (saline) injection simultaneously with the administration of diclofenac. In addition, the tissue concentration of prostaglandin E2 was measured.

The blood flow decreased by 18.3 +/- 9.1% in the gastric body, by 26.3 +/- 8.1% in the antrum in the placebo group after the administration of diclofenac sodium, while the decreases seen were significantly smaller in the famotidine group: 3.2 +/- 12.6% in the gastric body and 7.9 +/- 16.5% in the antrum (P = 0.001 for the gastric body, P = 0.0034 for the antrum). Conversely, the percentage of mucosal prostaglandin E2 concentration decrease in each group did not show a significant difference.

Famotidine alleviates the reduction of gastric blood flow induced by diclofenac sodium. Further, not only mucosal prostaglandins but also gastric acid may play an important role in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-induced gastric microcirculatory disturbance.