Prostaglandins and acid peptic disease: state of the art.

A review of the new concepts concerning the regulation of acid secretion and the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease is presented. Advantages and disadvantages of the common pharmacological treatments are described with special emphasis on the drugs which represent, at present, the treatment of choice for peptic ulcer disease, namely, the histamine H2-receptor antagonists. The role of prostaglandins in health and disease is considered, and the possibility that synthetic compounds derived from natural prostaglandins represent a good alternative to the present medical management of peptic ulcer disease.