Effect of Omeprazole Ingestion on Healing of Gastric Ulcers and Serum Gastrin Concentration in Rats

Abstract

We induced gastric ulcers in rats by administering a subserosal injection of 20% acetic acid and assessed the effects of omeprazole (OPZ) and of cimetidine on biosynthesis in the regenerating gastric mucosa and serum gastrin level. Immunohistological study of incorporation of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into DNA revealed that 3- and 5-day treatments with OPZ caused a significant decrease in the labeling index (LI) in the regenerating mucosa (38-48% of control, p<0.05) . Seven- and 14-day treatments with omeprazole caused a significant increase in the LI (170-186% of control, p<0.05) . In contrast, no significant effect was observed in cimetidine-treated rats throughout the entire experimental period. Serum gastrin levels were significantly elevated and reached a maximum (465±73 pg/ml, 247% of control, p<0.05) on the seventh day, and remained elevated (415±133 pg/ml, 356% of control, p<0.05) on the fourteenth day in OPZ-treated rats. Such changes were not observed in cimetidine-treated rats. These results suggest that increased serum gastrin, in response to the intragastric neutralization induced by OPZ administration, could accelerate cellular proliferation in the regenerating mucosa at the ulcer margin.