Koji Takeuchi

Role of nitric oxide in regulation of gastric acid secretion in rats: effects of NO donors and NO synthase inhibitor

1 The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of acid secretion was examined in the anaesthetized rat. 2 A rat stomach was mounted in an ex vivo chamber, instilled with 2u2003ml of saline every 15u2003min, and the recovered sample was titrated at pHu20037.0 against 0.1u2003N NaOH by use of an automatic titrator for acid secretion. Gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) was measured simultaneously by laser Doppler flowmeter. 3 Intragastric application of NO donors such as FK409 (3 and 6u2003mgu2003ml−1) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 6 and 12u2003mgu2003u2003ml−1) as well as i.p. administration of cimetidine (60u2003mgu2003kg−1), a histamine H2‐receptor antagonist, significantly inhibited the increase in acid secretion in response to pentagastrin (60u2003μgu2003kg−1u2003h−1, i.v.), in doses that increased gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF). 4 Intragastric application of FK409 (6u2003mgu2003ml−1) increased both basal and stimulated acid secretion induced by YM‐14673 (0.3u2003mgu2003kg−1, i.v.), an analogue of thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH), but had no effect on the acid secretory response induced by histamine (4u2003mgu2003kg−1u2003h−1, i.v.). 5 Pretreatment with NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME; 10u2003mgu2003kg−1, i.v.) did not affect basal acid secretion, but significantly potentiated the increase in acid secretion induced by YM‐14673 and slightly augmented the acid secretory response to pentagastrin. 6 Both pentagastrin and YM‐14673 increased the release of nitrite plus nitrate (NOx), stable NO metabolites, into the gastric lumen, and these changes were completely inhibited by prior administration of L‐NAME (10u2003mgu2003kg−1, i.v.). 7 Pentagastrin caused an increase in luminal release of histamine and this response was significantly suppressed by intragastric application of FK409 (6u2003mgu2003ml−1). 8 These results suggest that either exogenous or endogenous NO has an inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion through suppression of histamine release from enterochromaffin‐like (ECL) cells.

Effects of Cyclooxygenase-2 Selective and Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs on Mucosal Ulcerogenic and Healing Responses of the Stomach

Effects of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)inhibitors (NS-398) and nitric oxide (NO)-releasingaspirin (NO-ASA) on gastric ulcerogenic and healingresponses were examined in comparison with nonselective COX inhibitors such as indomethacin and aspirin(ASA). Hypothermic stress (28-30°C, 4 hr) inducedgastric lesions in anesthetized rats with an increase ofacid secretion. The lesions induced by hypothermic stress were markedly worsened by subcutaneousadministration of both indomethacin and ASA but were notaffected by either NS-398 or NO-ASA, although theincreased acid secretion during hypothermia was not affected by any of the drugs. On the otherhand, the healing of gastric ulcers induced in mice bythermal cauterization (70°C, 15 sec) wassignificantly delayed by daily subcutaneousadministration of indomethacin and ASA as well as NS-398, but not by NO-ASA.COX-2 mRNA was not detected in the intact mucosa but waspositively expressed in the ulcerated mucosa, mostpotently on day 3 after ulceration. Prostaglandin contents in the intact mouse stomach werereduced by indomethacin, ASA, and NO-ASA, while theincreased prostaglandin generation in the ulceratedmucosa was inhibited by all drugs including NS-398.After subcutaneous administration of NO-ASA topylorus-ligated rats and mice, high amounts ofNOx were detected in both the gastriccontents and serum. In addition, both NS-398 and NO-ASAshowed an equipotent antiinflammatory effect againstcarrageenan-induced paw edema in rats as compared withindomethacin and ASA. These results suggest that bothindomethacin and ASA not only increased the mucosalulcerogenic response to stress but impaired the healingresponse of gastric ulcers as well. The former actionwas due to inhibition of COX-1, while the latter effectwas accounted for by inhibition of COX-2 and was mimicked by the COX-2-selective inhibitorNS-398. NO-ASA, although it inhibited both COX-1 andCOX-2 activity, had no deleterious effects on gastriculcerogenic and healing responses.

Role of Nitric Oxide in Pathogenesis of Aspirin-Induced Gastric Mucosal Damage in Rats

We examined the effect of NO synthase inhibitor on the functional and ulcerogenic responses to aspirin (ASA) in rat stomach. The animals were given ASA (20–80 mM) orally with or without HCl (10–50 mM) and killed 2 h later. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was given i.v. 5 min before aspirin. In the functional study, a rat stomach was mounted on an ex vivo chamber under urethane anesthesia, perfused with saline, and transmucosal potential difference (PD), luminal pH, acid secretion and mucosal blood flow (GMBF) were measured simultaneously. ASA alone caused gastric damage in a dose-related manner; mostly nonhemorrhagic lesions. Pretreatment with L-NAME worsened such lesions and caused severe hemorrhagic lesions. Coadministration of HCl with ASA also potentiated gastric lesions in a concentration-dependent manner, changing nonhemorrhagic into hemorrhagic damage, and the worsening effect of L-NAME disappeared when 80 mM ASA was given together with HCl at >20 mM. In chambered stomachs, the mucosal application of ASA (80 mM, 30 min) caused a marked reduction in PD and a slight decrease in acid secretion, with minimal change in GMBF. L-NAME blocked the reduced acid response following ASA and caused stimulation of acid secretion with no effect on PD and GMBF. These effects of L-NAME were all antagonized by coadministration of L-arginine and significantly mitigated by sensory deafferentation or pretreatment with cimetidine or FPL-52694. These results suggest that (1) intragastric administration of ASA causes a release of NO, which reduces the development of hemorrhagic lesions by decreasing acid secretion, and (2) L-NAME worsens gastric damage by increasing acid secretion in ASA-treated stomachs, the process being dependent on endogenous histamine and sensory neurons.

Changes in gastric mucosal ulcerogenic responses in rats with adjuvant arthritis: role of nitric oxide

: To examine gastric mucosal ulcerogenic responses to indomethacin and HCl/ethanol in adjuvant arthritic (AA) rats.

Mechanism of Acid Secretory Changes in Rat Stomach After Damage by Taurocholate Role of Nitric Oxide, Histamine, and Sensory Neurons

The present study was performed to investigatethe mechanism underlying the acid stimulatory responsein the stomach after damage under the inhibition ofnitric oxide (NO) production byNG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). A rat stomach wasmounted in an ex vivo chamber, perfused with saline, andthe potential difference (PD) and acid secretion weremeasured before and after the application of 20 mM taurocholate (TC) for 30 min. Exposure of thestomach to TC caused a PD reduction and a decrease ofacid secretion. Pretreatment with L-NAME did not affectbasal acid secretion but significantly enhanced the acid secretion in the stomach after damagewith TC, without any effect on the PD response. Thiseffect of L-NAME was antagonized by simultaneousadministration of L-arginine but not D-arginine. The luminal appearance of NO was significantlyincreased in the stomach after exposure to TC, and thischange was completely blocked in the presence of L-NAMEor when EGTA was applied together with TC. The enhanced acid secretory response to TC in thepresence of L-NAME was inhibited by pretreatment withcimetidine, FPL-52694 (a mast cell stabilizer), orspantide (a substance P antagonist) or by chemical ablation of capsaicinsensitive sensory neurons.Mucosal exposure to TC increased histamine output in thelumen and decreased the number of metachromaticallystaining cells in the stomach, and these changes were also significantly prevented by FPL-52694,spantide, or sensory deafferentation. These resultssuggest that 1) damage in the stomach may activate theacid stimulatory pathway in addition to the NO-dependent inhibitory mechanism, but the latter effectovercomes the former, resulting in a decrease in acidsecretion, 2) the acid stimulation in the damagedstomach may be mediated by histamine released from the mucosal mast cell which may interact withcapsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves, and 3) L-NAMEunmasks the acid stimulatory response by suppressing theinhibitory mechanism.

Pathways mediating pentagastrin-induced mucosal blood flow response in rat stomachs.

The mechanisms of pentagastrin-induced gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) response were investigated in anesthetized rats. A rat stomach was mounted on anex vivo chamber, perfused with saline, and GMBF was measured by a laser Doppler flowmetry simultaneously with acid secretion. Pentagastrin infused intravenously produced a dose-dependent increase of GMBF as well as acid secretion, and its effect reached a maximum at 120 µg/kg/hr (maximal dose). Pretreatment with omeprazole (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) completely inhibited the acid secretory response and the enhancement of GMBF induced by both submaximal (60 µg/kg/hr) and maximal doses of pentagastrin. In contrast, the luminal perfusion with glycine (200 mM) to remove luminal H+ almost totally attenuated the increase of GMBF caused by the submaximal dose of pentagastrin, without any effect on acid secretion, but partially suppressed such GMBF responses caused by the maximal dose. Subcutaneous pretreatment with indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, significantly mitigated GMBF response caused by both submaximal and maximal doses of pentagastrin, whereas 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT), an adenosine antagonist, showed a significant inhibition of GMBF response caused by only the maximal dose. However, the combined administration of 8-PT with glycine perfusion further attenuated GMBF response caused by the maximal dose of pentagastrin, and the additional treatment with indomethacin completely blocked this GMBF response. We conclude that pentagastrin-induced GMBF responses are mediated by at least two different pathways; one is related to luminal H+ and the other to the parietal cell activity, depending on the dose of pentagastrin. In addition, the latter pathway may be mediated by adenosine, while endogenous prostaglandins may be involved in both pathways.

Stimulation of acid secretion in rat stomach following exposure to taurocholate in the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor

1. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the acid secretory response of the rat stomach following damage was investigated. A rat stomach was mounted in an ex-vivo chamber, perfused with saline, and the potential difference (PD), luminal pH, acid and HCO3- responses were measured before and after the mucosal exposure to 20 mM taurocholate (TC) for 30 min, with or without pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). 2. Exposure of the stomach to TC caused a reduction of PD, a decrease of acid secretion and an increase in luminal HCO-. Pretreatment with L-NAME did not affect such PD and HCO3- responses, but completely attenuated the decreased acid secretory response and rather enhanced this secretion. 3. These effects of L-NAME were significantly antagonized by the co-administration of L-arginine but not D-arginine. The enhanced acid secretory response in the presence of L-NAME was significantly inhibited by prior administration of cimetidine or FPL-52694 (a mast-cell stabilizer). 4. The mucosal exposure to TC significantly decreased the number of mucosal mast cells and increased the luminal histamine output. 5. Damage in the stomach may activate the histamine-dependent acid stimulatory pathway in addition to the NO-dependent inhibitory mechanism, although the latter effect overcomes the former, resulting in a decrease of acid secretion. L-NAME unmasks the stimulation of acid secretion by suppressing the inhibitory pathway.