Epinephrine protects against severe acute gastric bleeding in rats: role of nitric oxide and glutathione.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the systemic administration of epinephrine against severe acute gastric bleeding in rats. Epinephrine decreased gastric hemorrhage not only before but also after lipopolysaccharide-induced severe acute gastric bleeding. Epinephrine ameliorated severe gastric hemorrhage and decreased gastric mucosal lipid peroxidation through alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. Epinephrine modulated alpha-adrenoceptors to increase the levels of gastric mucosal nitric oxide and glutathione. Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors potently reversed the effects of epinephrine on gastric mucosal glutathione. Thus, epinephrine might act through alpha-adrenoceptors to increase the levels of gastric mucosal nitric oxide and glutathione and thus protect against severe acute gastric bleeding in rats.