[Observation of the rat gastric mucosal microcirculation by vital-microscopy]

The greater curvature of the stomach of fasted rats was cut under urethane anesthesia (1.25 g/kg, i.p.). The dorsal side of the glandular stomach was fixed in a plastic chamber by facing the mucosal side to the chamber and perfused with warm Tyrode solution at 37 degrees C. A window made by partial removal of the serosa, the muscularis externa and the submucosa allowed us to observe the basal part of the mucosal microcirculation through the muscularis mucosae. Images of the microcirculation were transmitted through a TV camera to a TV monitor screen and recorded on videotapes by a videotape-recorder. The diameters of the arterioles, collecting venules and venules were measured by an image analyzer. Arterioles, running along the muscularis mucosae, responded to acetylcholine and epinephrine applied on the window, by dilatation and constriction, respectively, but the collecting venules and venules showed no changes in diameter. Application of 50% ethanol on the mucosal side caused dilatation of the arterioles and constriction of the collecting venules and venules. This method may be useful for analyzing the mechanisms of gastric mucosal injury and those of the effects of vasoactive agents on the gastric mucosal microcirculation.