Cellular energy status of the gastric mucosa and gastric mucosal prevention by vitamin A in indomethacin-treated rats.

To evaluate the cellular energy status of gastric mucosa during the development of gastric mucosal damage and its prevention by application of a cytoprotective scavenger (vitamin A) in rats treated with indomethacin, the tissue levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and lactate were measured enzymatically, while the concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) was measured by radioimmunoassay, 4 h after the treatment with indomethacin and vitamin A simultaneously. It was found that a) the tissue levels of ATP, cAMP, AMP and the ratio of ATP/ADP were increased dose-dependently in the gastric mucosa in connection with the development of gastric mucosal prevention produced by vitamin A, b) the tissue level of ADP was decreased dose-dependently by vitamin A in indomethacin-treated rats, and c) the value of "energy charge" and the ratio of the ATP-ADP was unchanged during the vitamin A treatment in indomethacin-treated rats. The presence of tissue hypoxia could not be proved either in the development of indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage nor in the prevention of gastric mucosal damage by vitamin A.