[Experimental study on acute gastric ulceration in rat--including influence of obstructive jaundice and vagotomy]

Prognostic indicator for acute gastric ulceration was experimentally investigated using water immersed and restrained rats, with special interest in influence of obstructive jaundice and effect of vagotomy. The results obtained are as follows: Intragastric pH and gastric mucosal potential difference (PD) faithfully reflected the ulcer index. This shows that continuous monitoring of these two parameters may be of clinical use as indicator for acute gastric ulceration in critically ill or postoperative patients. Water immersing and restraint stress ulcer may be caused by imbalance between gastric offensive and defensive factors as a result of progressively increasing gastric secretion and progressively deteriorating gastric mucosal barrier. Gastric ulceration was enhanced in rats with obstructive jaundice, probably because of compromised defensive factor. Prophylaxis of acute gastric ulceration with or without obstructive jaundice may not be attained by vagotomy alone; an adequate maintenance of defensive factor seems to be also necessary.