[Ranitidine and transmural potential difference. Results with sodium taurocholate (author's transl)].

The effect of different doses of the newly developed histamine H2 receptor antagonist ranitidine on the sodium taurocholate-induced decrease of the potential difference across the human gastric mucosa was investigated in 18 healthy persons. It was shown that ranitidine protects the human mucosal epithelium against this agent both in acid-inhibitory and non-acid-inhibitory dosages. The results suggest that besides the prostaglandins histamine H2 receptor antagonists possess cytoprotective properties at least against bile acids.