Zinc acexamate inhibits gastric acid and pepsinogen secretion in the rat.

Pretreatment with zinc acexamate (25-100 mg kg-1 i.p.) inhibited acid and pepsinogen secretion in the pylorus-ligated rat. Zinc acexamate (5-50 mg kg-1 p.o.) also inhibited the increases in acid secretion induced by carbachol (10 micrograms kg-1) and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (200 mg kg-1) in the perfused stomach of the anaesthetized rat. A delayed antisecretory effect was observed with this drug on histamine induced responses. High concentrations of zinc acexamate (10(-5) - 10(-2) M) did not modify the in-vitro activity of pepsin. Administration of zinc acexamate resulted in an increase in the presence of pepsinogen at the mucosal level. A morphological examination of the gastric mucosa confirmed an accumulation of zymogen-containing granules in the gastric chief cells of zinc acexamate-treated rats (50 mg kg-1 p.o.). These results indicate that zinc acexamate decreases acid and pepsinogen secretion in-vivo, and this may explain its antiulcer activity.