Some new aspects of gastric mucosal protection and damage

Much of the research on gastric mucosal protection has concerned prostaglandins. Some of the recent studies consolidate aspects first investigated a few years ago, but whose importance is now becoming established more clearly. This short review will mention some of the more recent work demonstrating the importance of prostaglandins in preventing stasis of gastric mucosal blood flow, effects on cell senescence and exfoliation, and the protection of a severe mucosal lesion by a mucus-containing plug which facilitates healing. The leukotrienes are other substances formed in the gastric mucosa from the same precursors as the prostaglandins. Their roles are not well understood, but may include participation in gastric inflammation, and in mucosal damage by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and ethanol. The NSAIDs may damage the gastric mucosa not only by reducing the formation of protective prostaglandins, but also by increasing the metabolism of prostaglandin precursors into leukotrienes. Another factor is thromboxane A2, a substance that is damaging to the gastric mucosa but whose synthesis is inhibited by NSAIDs. The prostaglandin analogues produced for the treatment of peptic ulcer may find a major use in the protection against damage by NSAIDs. Not only may they act as 'replacement therapy' for the inhibited prostaglandins, but they protect against damage from substances that do not inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. In doses that raise the gastric pH, the prostaglandins reduce the local absorption of NSAIDs by increasing their ionisation. In rats, paracetamol protects against damage by aspirin, but whether this occurs in man is controversial. Work not previously published demonstrates that paracetamol does not affect the inhibition of prostaglandin formation by indomethacin in human isolated gastric mucosa.