Effects of trimoprostil on healing and recurrence of acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

Chronic gastric ulcers were produced by injection of 20% acetic acid (0.05 ml) into the submucosal layer of the rat stomach in order to determine the effects of the prostanoid trimoprostil on the healing and recurrence of ulcers. Local injection of acetic acid solution produced large demarcated ulcers in all animals on day 5, which rapidly decreased to reach low levels on days 40-80 and then became exacerbated on day 100. The exacerbation of the ulcer is probably recurrence. Trimoprostil was administered ad libitum in drinking water containing 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 microgram/ml (average dose 12.4, 37 and 124 micrograms/kg/day) for a period of 14 days (day 1-15) to assess its effect on healing and for a period of 40 days (day 60-100) to assess its ability to prevent recurrence. The higher two doses of trimoprostil accelerated the spontaneous healing of the ulcers. Furthermore, trimoprostil, at both doses, prevented the observed recurrence of this type of ulcer. Trimoprostil dose-dependently (30-300 micrograms/kg, p.o.) inhibited gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. Cimetidine at the antisecretory dose (1 mg/ml, 132 mg/kg/day) failed to affect the healing process of gastric ulcers, but tended to prevent the recurrence of gastric ulcers. Our present study suggests that trimoprostil is a promising antiulcer drug for the treatment of chronic gastric ulcer.