Gastric mucosal cytoprotection in the rat by cysteine

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Abstract
The free radical scavengers methyl‐methionine sulphonium bromide and cysteine (5%) protected the rat gastric mucosa against ischaemic injury produced by reserpine (5 mg kg−1 i.p.). Pretreatment with 1 mL of 5% cysteine by gavage completely protected against injury rats with no ligation and 70% of rats with pyloric ligation after they had been given aspirin (200 mg kg−1 by gavage), a dose that produced gastric mucosal injury in 40% of rats with no ligation and 70% of rats with pyloric ligation after 4 h. Ethanol (1 mL of 40% solution by gavage) after 1 h produced gastric mucosal injury in all animals and pretreatment with 1 mL of 5% cysteine by gavage completely protected 80% of non‐ligated and 70% of pyloric‐ligated rats against this injury. This protection was not associated with any significant effect on H+ output. The data suggest that cysteine maintains gastric mucin by a mechanism independent of acid secretion.