IRSOGLADINE MALEATE MAY PRESERVE GASTRIC-MUCOSAL HYDROPHOBICITY AGAINST ETHANOL IN PHOSPHOLIPIDS INDEPENDENT WAY IN RATS

Irsogladine maleate (IM) has been used as a mucosal protective agent, whose action is partially explained as enhancement of mucosal blood fl ow, increase of cellular cyclic AMP and facilitation of gap-junctional intercellular communication. Effect of IM on rat gastric mucosal hydr ophobicity, one of the mucosal barrier properties, was investigated, i n comparison with that of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E-2 (dmPGE(2)). IM alone had no effect on mucosal hydrophobicity and mucosal phosphol ipids content. dmPGE(2) alone did not change mucosal hydrophobicity si gnificantly, but remarkably increased mucosal surface-active phospholi pids. Intragastric administration of absolute ethanol significantly de creased gastric mucosal hydrophobicity and mucosal phospholipids conte nt. IM could prevent the decrease in mucosal hydrophobicity by ethanol , maintaining the surface mucus gel layer and mucosal surface phosphol ipids almost as non-damaged control levels, whereas dmPGE(2) also prev ented the decrease in mucosal hydrophobicity by ethanol, with the surf ace epithelium being partially exfoliated and mucosal surface-active p hospholipids showing remarkable enhancement. These results suggest tha t IM may preserve gastric mucosal hydrophobicity against ethanol, not through enhancement of mucosal phospholipids content like prostaglandi n, but possibly through its reported stabilization action to the epith elial cell lining, which may preserve the surface epithelium with the mucous gel layer containing surface-active phospholipids, a possible o rigin of mucosal hydrophobicity.