DIRECT CELLULAR EFFECTS OF SOME MEDIATORS, HORMONES AND GROWTH FACTOR-LIKE AGENTS ON DENERVATED (ISOLATED) RAT GASTRIC-MUCOSAL CELLS

The brain-gut axis has an important role in the mechanism of gastric c ytoprotection irt vivo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ill vitro effect of protective agents without any central and peripheral i nnervation. A mixed population of rat gastric mucosal cells was isolat ed by the method of Nagy et al (Gastroenterology (1994) 77, 433-443). Cells were incubated for 60 min with cytoprotective drugs such as pros tacyclin, histamine, pentagastrin and PL-10 substances (synthesized pa rts of BPC). At the end of this incubation cells were treated by 15% e thanol for 5 min. Cell viability was tested by trypan blue exclusion t est and succinic dehydrogenase activity. The following results were ob tained: 1) prostacyclin, histamine and pentagastrin had no direct cyto protective effect on isolated cells; and 2) PL-IO substances significa ntly protected the cells against ethanol-induced cellular damage. This led to the following conclusions: 1) in the phenomenon of gastric cyt oprotection only the growth factor-like agents have a direct cellular effect; and 2) the intact peripheral innervation is basically necessar y for the development of mediators and hormone-induced gastric cytopro tection.