AUTONOMIC REGULATION OF GASTRIC ULCEROGENESIS AFTER CERVICAL CORD TRANSECTION IN THE RAT

Objective: To examine the role of anticholinergic and sympathomimetic drugs in preventing gastric ulcerogenesis after cervical cord transect ion (CCT) in the rat, Methods: A randomized, prospective, intervention al trial was performed comparing pirenzepine (muscarinic type I recept or antagonist) and ephedrine (nonspecific sympathomimetic) in the prev ention of gastric ulcerogenesis after CCT in the rat. After isoflurane -induced general anesthesia, group 1 (n = 12) received sham CCT with n o pretreatment, group 2 received CCT with no pretreatment, group 3 rec eived CCT with pirenzepine pretreatment (0.01/mg/kg IP), and group 4 r eceived CCT with ephedrine pretreatment (3 mg/kg IP), Six hours after intervention, all the rats were euthanized with isoflurane, stomachs w ere dissected, and a gastric ulcer index was determined. Results: The mean (+/- SD) ulcer index was 0.08 +/- 0.1 for group 1, 2.33 +/- 0.5 f or group 2 (p = 0.01), 0.41 +/- 0.7 for group 3 (p = 0.037 compared wi th group 2), and 0.75 +/- 0.7 for group 4 (p = 0.0005 compared with gr oup 2), Groups 3 and 4 were not significantly different from each othe r (p = 0.30). Conclusions: Gastric ulcerogenesis after CCT in the rat is decreased by anticholinergic and sympathomimetic drug pretreatment.