PROTECTIVE ACTION OF CAPSAICIN AND CHILIC ON HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK-INDUCED GASTRIC-MUCOSAL INJURY IN THE RAT

Chilli and its pungent ingredient, capsaicin, have been shown to prote ct against experimental gastric mucosal injury induced by various necr otizing agents such as ethanol and aspirin and stress. We investigated the effect of capsaicin and long-term ingestion of chilli on haemorrh agic shock induced gastric mucosal injury in the rat. Anaesthetized ma le Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to haemorrhagic shock by withdra wing blood to reduce the mean arterial blood pressure to 30-40 mmHg wi th subsequent reinfusion of shed blood. This resulted in gastric mucos al injury with readily identifiable haemorrhagic lesions. Capsaicin (5 mg) administered prior to, but not after, haemorrhagic shock, signifi cantly reduced the gastric mucosal injury in intact animals. Sensory a blation with capsaicin pretreatment (125 mg/kg bodyweight) abolished t he gastroprotective effect afforded by capsaicin. Similarly, 4 week in take of chilli powder (360 mg daily) reduced the gastric mucosal injur y in intact, but not in capsaicin-desensitized rats. Capsaicin and lon g-term chilli intake protected against haemorrhagic shock induced gast ric mucosal injury and the protection may be mediated by capsaicin-sen sitive afferent neurons. Our studies are of potential significance in the context of stress ulcer disease in the human.