ENDOSCOPIC VIEW OF INDOMETHACIN-INDUCED GASTRIC MUCOSAL DAMAGE IN MAN-ITS'RELATION WITH THE MUCOSAL PROSTAGLANDIN LEVEL

Abstract

Six healthy volunteers were tested the effect of indomethacin in a dose of clinical use on gastric mucosal damage and the levels of mucosal prostaglandins (PGs). In three out of 6 subjects, gastric mucosal lesions induced by indomethacin were endoscopically found ; two spotty hemorrhagic erosions in gastric antrum in one of the subjects ; five linear hemorrhagic erosions in angle and corpus in another one ; multiple hemorrhagic erosions in whole stomach in the last one. The PGE₂ level determined from biopsy specimens was significantly reduced by the administration of indomethacin both in corpus and antrum of the stomach. The level of 6-keto-PGF_1α (the final metabolite of PGI₂) was also reduced by indomethacin, but not significant. These results suggest that clinical dose indomethacin decreases mucosal integrity in relation to the reduction of prostanoids in gastric mucosa of healthy subjects.