Chronic cigarette smoking has adverse effects on peptic ulcer disease
because the healing of ulcers is delayed and the incidence of relapses
is enhanced. Short term intake of nicotine induces vascular damage in
the rat gastric mucosa, but the pathophysiological mechanisms of nico
tine's action in the stomach are largely unknown. In this study rats w
ere treated with nicotine, added to their drinking water, for 50 days.
They were then anaesthetised and their stomachs perfused with acidifi
ed acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Chronic nicotine treatment failed to ch
ange the effects of acidified ASA to induce gastric mucosal acid back
diffusion, haemorrhagic damage and bleeding. Basal blood flow in the g
astric mucosa was also unchanged by chronic nicotine intake, whereas t
he mucosal hyperaemia evoked by ASA induced acid back diffusion was av
erted. The concentrations of sulfidoleukotrienes were significantly au
gmented in the gastric wall of nicotine treated rats. These data show
that chronic nicotine intake causes dysregulation of the gastric micro
circulation, an effect that is associated with biochemical changes in
the stomach. This study thus substantiates the adverse effects of smok
ing on gastric mucosal pathophysiology. These data suggest that inappr
opriate regulation of gastric mucosal blood flow inhibits recovery fro
m gastric mucosal injury in smokers.