Changes of noradrenaline (NA) and prostaglandin (PG) E2 in gastric mucosa and gastric wall blood flow (GWBF) were investigated after stress load in rats with obstructive jaundice. We found that water immersion and restraint stress more easily increased the ulcer index and decreased GWBF, corresponding to a decrease of the NA and PGE2 contents in the gastric mucosa, as the duration of jaundice increased. Administration of PGE2 reduced the increase of the ulcer index and the decrease of the GWBF and NA contents in the gastric mucosa. It is suspected that the rapid decrease of NA and PGE2 is connected with the rapid decrease of GWBF after stress load in obstructive jaundice, and we reached the hypothesis that both PGE2 and NA mutually regulate local GWBF.
The influence of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (16,16-dm PGE2; an agent used for the prevention of stress ulcer after hepatectomy of the cirrhotic liver) on liver regeneration after hepatectomy was studied in rats. The following results were obtained. Ulceration after the stress of 6 h of water immersion was markedly suppressed in rats treated with 30 r/kg of 16,16-dmPGE2 as compared with the untreated controls. In animals that received hepatectomy alone, the gastric pH and gastric mucosal blood flow showed significant reduction from the preoperative levels. In animals that received hepatectomy plus 16,16-dmPGE2 treatment the postoperative reduction in the gastric pH and gastric mucosal blood flow was suppressed, suggesting the effectiveness of 16,16-dmPGE2 treatment in the prevention of stress ulcer after hepatectomy of the cirrhotic liver. The 3H-thymidine uptake percentage and thymidine activity 24 h after hepatectomy and the DNA content 30 h after hepatectomy were significantly higher in animals treated with 16,16-dmPGE2 than in the untreated controls. In animals that were treated intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg of indomethacin 6 h before hepatectomy the mitotic index 30 h after hepatectomy was markedly lower than that in untreated controls. This indomethacin-induced reduction in the mitotic index tended to be normalized by treatment with 16,16-dmPGE2. These results suggest that 16,16-dmPGE2 treatment effectively prevents stress ulcer and favorably affects hepatic regeneration after hepatectomy of the cirrhotic liver.
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