Different protective effects of dimercapto-butanediol stereoisomers in experimental gastric ulceration

The erythro version of 1, 4,-dimercapto-2, 3,-butanediol provided a significant protection against experimental gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin, while it was ineffective in stress ulcer of rats. The threo version of the same compound showed a complete ineffectiveness. It seems that most probably there is a specific receptor system in the living organism where only the erythro version is effective. Moreover, there was a remarkable difference between indomethacin-induced and stress ulcer as far as their protection is concerned. Sulfhydryl containing substances inhibited indomethacin ulcer but they were ineffective against stress ulcer. This experimental result provides further data for the difference of the pathomechanism of various experimental ulcers and thus their direct extrapolation to the human disease and to its treatment needs extreme caution.