Nitric oxide-mediated mucus hypersecretion protects the stomach of ovariectomized rats

The actions of ovariectomy on nitric oxide synthase (assessed by the citrul lin assay), mucus secretion (assessed by the Alcyan blue technique) and ulc erogenic response (indomethacin (30 mg kg(-1), s.c., 4 h) or cysteamine (40 0 mg kg(-1), s.c., 24 h)) were studied in the female rat stomach. Ovariecto my increased nitric oxide synthase and mucus secretion, and decreased the s everity of lesions, effects reversed by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor , N-G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg kg(-1), s.c., 4 h before measurements). Therefore, estrogen-deficiency protects the gastric mucosa by nitric oxide (NO)-mediated mucus hypersecretion. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.