Mucosal prostaglandin levels of the gastric stump

Tissue concentrations and correlations of prostaglandins in healthy and inflamed human esophageal and jejunal mucosa

The PGE2, PGF2 alpha, PGI2, and TXB2 content in biopsies of healthy esophageal mucosa and inflamed mucosa and from subjects with chronic esophagitis was measured and statistically analyzed. No significant differences were found between the tissue concentrations of prostaglandins in the inflamed and the healthy mucosa, except for elevated PGI2 content in the inflamed esophageal mucosa in comparison to healthy mucosa. The prostaglandin content of jejunal mucosa was unchanged in jejunitis and in atrophy compared to findings in healthy subjects. Regression analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the PGF2 alpha and PGI2 content in both inflamed esophageal and inflamed jejunal mucosa. In healthy mucosa, no correlation was found between the tissue concentrations of these two prostaglandins, either in the esophagus or in the jejunum. These results suggest the redistribution of cyclic endoperoxide metabolism under certain pathological conditions.

Age does not influence acute aspirin-induced gastric mucosal damage

Gastroduodenal ulceration and complications occur more commonly in elderly patients consuming aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs than in younger cohorts. To test the hypothesis that the gastroduodenal mucosa of the elderly is more sensitive to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug damage, acetylsalicylic acid in low (325 mg) and high (1300 mg) doses was administered on separate days to 10 elderly (median age, 67.5; range, 60-74 years) and 10 young (median age, 24.5; range, 19-30 years) healthy, male volunteer subjects. Gastroduodenal mucosal damage was assessed 2 hours after aspirin dosage by video-endoscopic techniques. At the conclusion of the study, the videotapes of all procedures were randomly evaluated by two endoscopists blinded to subject identification or study sequence. Endoscopically observed lesions were counted in the duodenum, gastric antrum, and gastric body. Aspirin damage was dose-related and more severe in the stomach than in the duodenum. There were no significant differences in total gastroduodenal lesion counts between age groups. In addition, no differences in median gastric pH or tissue 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha content were observed between age groups. These data suggest that age is not a significant factor in determining the extent of acutely administered aspirin-induced damage.