Protection by nitecapone against sodium taurocholate-induced damage to cultured gastric cells

Role of thromboxane A2 in healing of gastric ulcers in rats

We investigated the role of thromboxane (TX) A2 in gastric ulcer healing in rats. Acetic acid ulcers were produced in male Donryu rats. TXA2 synthesis in the stomachs with ulcers was significantly elevated in ulcerated tissue, but not in intact tissue, compared with that in the gastric mucosa of normal rats. Indomethacin inhibited both TXA2 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis in ulcerated tissue, while NS-398 (selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor) reduced only PGE2 synthesis. OKY-046 (TXA2 synthase inhibitor) dose-relatedly inhibited only TXA2 synthesis. The maximal effect of OKY-046 (80% inhibition) was found at more than 30 mg/kg. When OKY-046 was administered for 14 days, the drug at more than 30 mg/kg significantly accelerated ulcer healing without affecting acid secretion. The maximal reduction of ulcerated area by OKY-046 was about 30%, compared with the area in the control. Histological studies revealed that regeneration of the mucosa was significantly promoted by OKY-046, but neither maturation of the ulcer base nor angiogenesis in the base were affected. OKY-046 and TXB2 had no effect on proliferation of cultured rat gastric epithelial cells, but U-46619 (TXA2 mimetic) dose-relatedly prevented the proliferation without reducing cell viability. These results indicate that the increased TXA2, probably derived from cyclooxygenase-1 in ulcerated tissue, exerts a weak inhibitory effect on ulcer healing in rats. The effect of TXA2 might be due partly to prevention of gastric epithelial cell proliferation at the ulcer margin.

Role of calcium in thromboxane B2-mediated injury to rabbit gastric mucosal cells

A sustained increase in cytosolic Ca2+ can damage gastric mucosal cells. The present study has examined the role of Ca2+ in thromboxane B2 (TXB2)-mediated damage of rabbit isolated gastric mucosal cells. Cells were isolated from rabbit oxyntic mucosa by collagenase-EDTA digestion. Cell metabolic activity and cell damage were estimated by alamar blue dye absorbance and trypan blue uptake, respectively. Cellular Ca2+ was monitored by indo-1 dye fluorescence. Addition of TXB2 (10(-6) and 10(-8) M) to the cell suspension resulted in a decrease in metabolic activity, and this effect was reduced when Ca2+ was removed from the incubation medium. TXB2 addition to the incubation medium resulted in an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ and incubation of cells with the intracellular Ca2+ chelator, BAPTA-AM (20 microM), reduced cell injury in response to TXB2. Incubation of cells with the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (1-25 microM) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in trypan blue uptake and a reduction in cell metabolism. Cell injury in response to A23187 were exacerbated by addition of TXB2 (10(-8) M) to the cell suspension. TXB2 treatment reduced cellular content of reduced glutathione (GSH), while exogenous GSH addition (10 mM) reduced TXB2-mediated cell injury. These data demonstrate that TXB2 can directly injure gastric mucosal cells. Gastric mucosal cellular damage in response to TXB2 is mediated in part by a disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis as well as a reduction in cellular GSH content.

Establishment of primary epithelial cell culture from elutriated rat gastric mucosal cells

Proliferating cells in the gastric mucosal epithelium were successfully enriched by counterflow elutriation in a medium-sized cell fraction. When inoculated on culture plates coated with E-C-L cell attachment matrix, these cells differentiated into mucus-producing cells after reaching confluence. Northern blot analysis did not detect any transcript of the proton pump, histidine decarboxylase, somatostatin, or pepsinogen I, indicating the absence of parietal, ECL, D, and chief cells in the confluent monolayer. These mucus-producing cell monolayers that respond to various growth factors may be a suitable model with which to investigate the function of gastric mucus cells in vitro.