POSSIBLE CYTOPROTECTIVE MECHANISM IN RATS OF D-002, AN ANTI-ULCEROGENIC PRODUCT ISOLATED FROM BEESWAX

D-002 is an anti-ulcerogenic product, isolated from beeswax, which con sists of a well-defined mixture of higher primary aliphatic alcohols. It is highly effective against ethanol-induced ulcers. This study was designed to determine if D-002 shows cytoprotective properties on gast ric mucosa in ethanol-induced ulcers. The involvement of endogenous pr ostaglandins in the protective effect of D-002 was also investigated. When a subulcerogenic dose of indomethacin (10 mg kg(-1)) was injected simultaneously with oral administration of ethanol, oral pre-treatmen t with D-002 (5-100 mg kg(-1)) partially inhibited the gastric protect ion. D-002 (5 and 25 mg kg(-1)) administered to normal rats significan tly increased the soluble mucus content and also prevented its reducti on in rats with ethanol-induced ulcers. In addition, D-002 administere d at 5 and 25 mg kg(-1) prevented the increase of vascular permeabilit y induced by ethanol (60%) and reduced the concentration of thromboxan e B-2 (TXB(2)) in gastric mucosa of rats with ethanol-induced ulcers. These results support the hypothesis that the anti-ulcerogenic propert ies of D-002 could be related to a cytoprotective mechanism.