The gastric fundic mucosal energy systems and the HCl-induced lesions in rats in dependence on starvation

Gastric mucosal lesions were produced by intragastric administration of 0.6 M HCl (1 ml) to rats starved for 48 or 24 h, and to unstarved rats which received 5 or 20% glucose solution ad libitum. The number and severity of gastric lesions were recorded and the mucosal levels of ATP, ADP, and AMP were enzymatically measured, cAMP was determined by RIA. Adenylate pool, energy charge, and ATP X ADP-1 were rated. It has been found that: the 20% glucose fed rats showed the highest levels of biochemical constituents, but the lowest number and severity of gastric lesions; there were significant negative correlations between the number and severity of lesions and the mucosal levels of ADP, AMP and cAMP; significant positive correlations were found between the number and severity of gastric lesions and the ratios of ATP X ADP-1 and energy charge. It has been concluded that: the energy turnover processes of the fundic mucosa were significantly higher in the animals fed 20% glucose; the increased energy turnover in the gastric mucosa may produce a better metabolic adaptation against the necrotizing effect of HCl.