AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL FOR STUDYING PASSIVE CIGARETTE-SMOKING EFFECTS ON GASTRIC-ULCERATION

Cigarette smoking is associated with gastric mucosal damage in humans. For this study, a smoke chamber was designed to investigate the effec ts of passive smoking on gastric ulceration. Different concentrations of cigarette smoke (0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%) were perfused into a chamber f or one hr in which conscious rats were placed. This one-hr smoke expos ure potentiated ethanol (70%, v/v, p.o.)-induced gastric mucosal damag e and increased serum nicotine levels; however, it did not affect the blood pH, pCO(2), pO(2), and HCO3- concentrations, or the systemic blo od pressure and heart rate. Under these experimental conditions, expos ure to cigarette smoke produced no significant changes in the blood ac id/base balance and stress in the animals but significantly potentiate d ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage. The present experimental mod el is suitable for studying the adverse interactions between passive s moking and alcohol drinking in gastric ulcer formation in rats.