Gastric anti-ulcer and cytoprotective effect of l-serine in rats

Effect of l-serine has been studied for its ability to inhibit gastric secretion and to protect the gastric mucosa against stress and chemically induced ulcers. Acid secretion studies were undertaken in pylorus-ligated rats with and without l-serine treatment. Experimental gastric lesions were induced by hypothermic-restraint stress, indomethacin and necrotizing agents including 80% ethanol, 0.2 M sodium hydroxide and 0.6 M hydrochloric acid in rats. The level of nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds and gastric wall mucus were also measured in the glandular stomach of the rats following ethanol-induced gastric lesions. The results of this study demonstrate that l-serine produces a dose-dependent inhibition of gastric acid secretions in rats. Pretreatment with l-serine also attenuated the formation of stress-, indomethacin- and necrotizing agents-induced gastric lesions. The antiulcer activity of l-serine was associated with significant inhibition of ethanol-induced depletion of nonprotein sulfhydryls and gastric wall mucus. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that l-serine possesses significant antiulcer and cytoprotective activity against various experimentally induced gastric lesions. Although the mechanism of action of l-serine requires further evaluation, the experimental observations derived from this study may have future clinical relevance and therefore deserve to be investigated thoroughly.