Effect of sucralfate and its components on taurocholate-induced damage to rat gastric mucosal cells in tissue culture.

The present study evaluated the effect of sucralfate and its components, sucrose octasulfate and aluminum hydroxide, on: (1) damage to rat cultured gastric mucosal cells induced by sodium taurocholate in a neutral environment and in conditions independent of systemic factors, (2) prostaglandin E2 and on 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha release by cultured cells, and (3) sulfhydryl content of cultured cells. Cell damage was quantitated by chromium-51 release assay. Prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha were measured by radioimmunoassay. Total sulfhydryl content of cultured cells was determined calorimetrically. Microscopically, sucralfate was found to adhere tightly to epithelial cell surfaces despite frequent washings. Sucralfate 2 mg/ml and 5 mg/ml significantly decreased taurocholate-induced damage, reducing taurocholate-induced specific 51Cr release by 11.8 points (equal to 29% decrease in cell damage, P less than 0.01) and 22.9 points (equal to 56% decrease in cell damage, P less than 0.001), respectively. Sucrose octasulfate and aluminum hydroxide did not exert significant protection against damage induced by sodium taurocholate. The protective effect of sucralfate was not prevented by indomethacin, nor was it counteracted by the sulfhydryl blocker, iodoacetamide. Sucralfate, but not its components, significantly and dose-dependently stimulated prostaglandin E2 (r = 0.94, P less than 0.05) and 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha (r = 0.89, P less than 0.05) production by cultured cells. Neither sucralfate nor its components affected sulfhydryl content of cultured cells. In conclusion, sucralfate, but not its components, (1) protects rat gastric mucosal cells against taurocholate-induced damage in conditions independent of systemic factors and in a neutral environment and (2) significantly stimulates prostaglandin production by cultured cells. (3) The protection by sucralfate in vitro does not seem to depend on its stimulatory effect on endogenous prostaglandin synthesis.