Role of vascular factors, including angiogenesis, in the mechanisms of action of sucralfate.

This brief overview of our recent results implicates vascular factors in the mechanisms of acute and chronic actions of sucralfate. Pretreatment of rats with sucralfate and its components, such as SOS and sodium sulfate, prevented the ethanol-induced microvascular injury and maintained blood flow in the gastric mucosa. Thus, preservation of microvascular integrity seems to be one of the mechanisms of acute gastroprotection by sucralfate. Chronic experiments with subcutaneously implanted sponges containing sucralfate or SOS revealed that both compounds stimulated angiogenesis, whereas only sucralfate enhanced the area of granulation tissue. These processes may have a role in the ulcer-healing action of sucralfate.