INTRACISTERNAL INJECTION OF BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR REDUCES THE SEVERITY OF GASTRIC-MUCOSAL LESIONS EVOKED BY ETHANOL IN RATS

This study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that basic fibrobla st growth factor (bFGF) may have an anti-ulcer action through an acid- independent mechanism. The intracisternal injection of bFGF (1 mu g/10 mu l) significantly attenuated the development of gastric mucosal dam age evoked by either subcutaneous indomethacin or intragastric absolut e ethanol. On the other hand, intraperitoneally injected bFGF (1 mu g) failed to inhibit the formation of gastric mucosal injury by indometh acin or ethanol. These results suggest that bFGF acts in the brain to exert a gastroprotective action. Since ethanol-induced gastric lesion formation does not depend upon luminal acid, we speculate that an acid -independent mechanism may mediate the antiulcer action of central bFG F.