The Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Gastric and Duodenal Protection and Ulcer Therapy

Cytoprotection has been defined as the ability of pharmacological agents to prevent or reduce gastric, duodenal, or intestinal mucosal injury produced by a variety of agents without affecting intragastric acidity. Prostaglandins (PGs) have been shown to protect the gastric mucosa against (a) ulcerogenic insults by aspirin, indomethacin, bile acids, serotonin, and restraint, and (b) damage produced by necrotizing agents such as absolute alcohol, boiling water, 0.6 N HCl, 0.2 N NaOH, and overdistention (Robert at al. 1979, 1984; Tarnawski 1980; Miller 1983; Marti-Bonmati et al. 1980). A demonstration of cytoprotection is the oral or subcutaneous pretreatment of experimental animals (Robert et al. 1979, 1884; Tarnawski 1980) with a small amount of synthetic or natural PGs prior to the insult, which significantly reduces or even completely prevents mucosal necrosis after exposure to absolute alcohol, boiling water, or other noxious factors.