Dietary Production of Gastric Ulcers in Rats and Prevention by Tocopherol Administration

Abstract

Ulcers in the fore-stomach were induced in rats: (a) recovering from vit. A-deficiency with 2, 30, or 300 units vit. A daily, (b) recovering from a vit. B6 deficiency with suboptimal amts. (1, 2 or 4 [gamma] daily) of pyridoxine, (c) recovering from an essential fat acid deficiency with 20 mg. of linolate daily. Deficiencies of these 3 essentials did not, in themselves, result in lesions. The ulcers occurred only during the curative period in which the specific nutrient was fed. [alpha]-Tocopherol fed daily to the rats during the cure of the specific deficiency gave complete protection. [alpha]-Tocopherol orally was also effective, but [alpha]-tocopheryl phosphate injected was not. The amt. of fat in the diet was related to the incidence of stomach ulcers in the vit. A expts. Ten % gave good protection. Five % allowed moderately severe lesions, which were preventable by tocopherol. Fat-low diets gave very severe lesions not preventable by the level of tocopherol fed, 0.5 mg. daily.