Effects of 16,16-Dimethyl Prostaglandin E2 on Surface Epithelial Cell Damage in the Rat Stomach Induced by Vagal Nerve Stimulation

The effect of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (dmPGE2) on gastric surface epithelial cell (SEC) damage induced by vagal nerve stimulation (VS) in urethane-anesthetized rats was studied using scanning electron microscopy. VS (1.25-10 Hz, 0.2 mA, 2 msec, 10 min) resulted in a graded increase in the SEC damage, increased gastric contractions, increased gastric acid secretion, and a decrease in heart rate. Pretreatment with dmPGE2 (0.3-30 μg/kg, s.c.) significantly protected the SEC from VS-induced damage, inhibited the increase in gastric contractions and acid secretion, but had no influence on the decrease in heart rate. Atropine (1 mg/kg, s.c.) also protected the SEC from VS-induced damage and inhibited the alterations in response to VS. Timoprazole (30 mg/kg, s.c.) had no protective effects on SEC from VS-induced damage, no effect on increased gastric contractions and heart rate, but did inhibit the increase in gastric acid secretion, in response to VS. These results suggest that: (A) VS-induced SEC damage was caused by increased gastric contractions and not by increased gastric acid secretion, and (B) dmPGE2 protects against SEC damage by inhibiting gastric contractions.