The effects of sodium carbenoxolone on the stability of cellular membranes

Various mechanisms have been proposed for the mode of action of carbenoxolone, most of which contribute to improving the mucosal defence and the protective mucus barrier. The incorporation of many sugars into the glycoprotein fraction of gastric mucus of man, ferret and rat is increased by carbenoxolone and the turnover of gastric epithelial cells in the mouse has been shown to decrease after carbenoxolone treatment. The gastric mucosal cell membrane together with the subcellular endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes contain large amounts of phospholipids and cholesterol. The protective role of gastric mucus and the development of gastric lesions is partly dependent on the activity of the mucosal cell lysosomes. Evidence is presented to show that carbenoxolone at pharmacological doses has a significant stabilising effect on lysosomal membranes and also on artificial phosphatidylcholine:cholesterol liposomes.