GASTRIC-MUCOSAL DAMAGE ACCOMPANYING CHANGES IN MUCIN INDUCED BY HISTAMINE IN RATS

The present study was carried out to clarify the mechanism of histamin e-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats. Following an injection of hi stamine (80 mg/kg), pH dropped within 30 min. and then recovered contr ol value (pH = 4-5) 4 hr later. The decrease in mucosal mucin content and the appearance of haemorrhagic erosions followed the drop in pH. T he recovery of mucosal mucin content preceded the healing of haemorrha gic erosions and pH recovery to the control level. Histamine also caus ed qualitative changes in corpus mucins. These qualitative changes ind uced by histamine were eliminated at 7 hr following the administration of histamine. It appears from the present results that increase in HC l and decrease in mucins induced by histamine bring about gastric dama ge.