Effect of water-immersion stress on prostaglandin E2 in rat gastric mucosa

Abstract

We investigated the effect of stress on the prostaglandin E₂ levels in rat gastric mucosa. In untreated controls, prostaglandin E₂ levels were higher in the antral than the fundic mucosa. Stress experiments showed that 3O-min stress induced no gastric lesions but effected a significant (p2; after 7-hr stress exposure, hemorrhagic lesions and prostaglandin E₂ levels significantly (p2 prior to 7-hr stress exposure inhibited ulcer formation markedly. Our results suggested that stress-induced decrease in intramucosal prostaglandin E₂ plays an important role in the pathogenesis of stress ulcer formation.