GASTRIC-MUCOSAL LAMININ RECEPTOR EXPRESSION WITH ULCER HEALING BY EBROTIDINE

1. The effect of antiulcer agent, ebrotidine, on the expression of gas tric mucosal laminin receptor during ulcer healing was investigated. 2 . Rats with acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcers were treated tw ice daily for 14 consecutive days either with ebrotidine at 100 mg/kg or placebo, and then at different stages of treatment used for the iso lation and quantitation of gastric mucosal laminin receptor. 3. The bi nding assays revealed that the ulcer healing was accompanied by an inc rease in mucosal expression of laminin receptor. A 2.7-fold increase i n the receptor expression occurred by 4th day following the developmen t of ulcer and reached a maximum of 8.6-fold increase by the 14th day when the ulcer was essentially healed. 4. Treatment with ebrotidine ca used accelerated ulcer healing (7 days), which was accompanied by a re markable enhancement in the laminin receptor expression. A 2.5-foId in crease in the receptor expression over that of controls occurred by th e 4th day of ebrotidine treatment, and a 1.7-fold increase was still o bserved at the 14th day of treatment. 5. The results suggest that ebro tidine, by evoking enhanced mucosal cell laminin receptor expression, promotes reepithelization and, hence, hastens the ulcer healing.