On a possible interrelationship among smoking, gastric ulceration and endogenous prostacyclin.

Investigating either in animals or in humans it seems that smoking exerts an unfavourable effect on the gastric mucosa. The target of this action (among others) is the endogenous prostacyclin content. In gastric ulceration there is a tendency toward decreased endogenous prostacyclin activity even in non-smoker patients, the decrease of which is more pronounced in smokers. The results of animal and human investigations draw attention once again to a possible role of smoking in the development and healing of peptic ulcer disease. Therefore it is always useful for sufferers to give up smoking.