EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE ROLE OF NEURO-HUMORAL FACTORS IN PEPTIC ULCERATION

Abstract

Using as experimental models, chronic and acute peptic ulcerations produced in rats by means of prolonged starvation and indomethacin, the role of (i) the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal-neuro secretory system (H.N.N.S_) and (ii) the hormone, gastrin were studied in the pathogenesis of peptic ulceration. In the case of acute indomethacin-induced peptic ulceration, the effects of anti-cholinergic drugs on the ulcers produced were also studied. 2. Based on the well observed ameliorating effect of pregnancy on peptic ulceration in human-beings, the presence of ulcerogenic as well as ulcer-ameliorating substances, such as gastrin and the prostaglandins were looked for and characterised in extracts of human placenta. 3. It was observed that (i) both starvation and indomethacin-induced peptic ulceration were associated with a low neurohypophyseal neuro-secretory material (N.S.M.), (ii.) starvation-induced peptic ulceration was not associated with a significant change in antral gastrin content, (iii) anticholinergic drugs significantly prevented indomethacin-induced ulcers in rats, (iv) human placenta had no detectable gastrin-like activity but contained significant amounts of PGE2 and PGF2,and (v) perfused stomach preparations from both the pregnant and oestrogen-pretreated rats caused significant inactivation of exogenous PGE2. The significance of the above findings are discussed in relation to the pathogenesis of peptic ulceration.