Gastric antiulcer and cytoprotective effects of dipyridamole in rats

Dipyridamole has been studied for its ability to inhibit gastric secretion and to protect gastric mucosa against the injuries caused by hypothermic restraint stress, indomethacin and various necrotizing agents including 80% ethanol, 0.6 M HCl, 0.2 M NaOH and 25% NaCl in rats. The results of this study demonstrate that dipyridamole has both prophylactic and curative effects on various experimentally induced gastric ulcers. It produced inhibition of normal and histamine-stimulated gastric secretion in rats. The intensity of gastric lesions induced by indomethacin and hypothermic restraint stress was reduced significantly by dipyridamole. Our findings also showed that dipyridamole protect gastric wall against hypothermic restraint stress-induced mucus depletion. It produced marked cytoprotective effect against all the necrotizing agents used in this study. The cytoprotective effect of dipyridamole against 80% ethanol was reversed significantly by prior treatment with a dose of indomethacin that inhibits prostaglandin biosynthesis. These data indicate that dipyridamole inhibits the formation of gastric lesions by mucosal generation of prostaglandins. The concentration of nonprotein sulfhydryls were decreased significantly in gastric mucosa after administration of 80% ethanol. Treatment with dipyridamole replenish the reduced level of gastric mucosal nonprotein sulfhydryls, thus suggesting the mediation of its protective effect through sulfhydryls. Our findings show that dipyridamole possesses both antisecretory and antiulcer effects. Further studies are required to determine its role in the prophylaxis and or the treatment of gastric ulcer disease.