H. Kaneko et al., EFFECT OF PLAUNOTOL ON HYPERGASTRINEMIA INDUCED BY LONG-TERM OMEPRAZOLE ADMINISTRATION IN HUMANS, Digestive diseases and sciences, 40(1), 1995, pp. 160-165
Omeprazole markedly inhibits basal and stimulated gastric acid secreti
on and has the ability to produce hypergastrinemia and hyperplasia of
enterochromaffin-like cells in humans. On the other hand, paunotol, an
acyclic diterpene alcohol, has been reported to inhibit gastrin relea
se by stimulating endogenous secretin release. We investigated the eff
ect of plaunotol on serum gastrin levels after six to eight weeks of o
meprazole (20 mg/day) administration in 22 patients (16 males, 6 femal
es; mean age 52.3, range 36-70 years) with peptic ulcer disease. The p
atients were randomized to the following two groups: 11 subjects with
omerprazole alone (single group) and 11 with omeprazole plus plaunotol
(240 mg/day) (combination group) treatment. There were no significant
differences between the two groups concerning age, sex, ulcer stage,
ulcer history, environmental factors, and Helicobacter pylori (HP) pre
valence. After complete drug(s) administration, serum immunoreactive (
ir) -gastrin levels increased significantly in the single group (P < 0
.001) in contrast to the combination group, and plaunotol significantl
y inhibited hypergastrinemia induced by omeprazole administration (P <
0.001). Significant increases in serum ir-calcitonin gene-related pep
tide concentrations were observed in the combination group compared to
the single group (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant chang
es in sereum ir-secretin, somatostatin, and vasoactive intestinal poly
peptide levels as well as ulcer healing and HP prevalence between the
two groups. These findings suggest that plaunotol may suppress hyperga
strinemia induced by long-term omeprazole administration, at least par
tly, via a certain brain-gut hormone affecting gastrin release.