Arachidonic acid stimulation of mucus production by rat gastric cultured cells.

The effect of arachidonic acid (AA) on mucus production (synthesis and secretion) by rat gastric monolayer-cultured cells was investigated. For the study of mucus synthesis, the rate of incorporation of [3H]glucosamine into the cultured cells was measured. The rate of release of glycoprotein into the culture media from the cells, which were incubated in the medium containing [3H]glucosamine for 24 hr in advance, was determined for the study of mucus secretion. Prostaglandins in the medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. AA (10(-4) M) significantly increased mucus synthesis and secretion by the cultured cells (P less than 0.01). PG (E2 and I2) synthesis by the cultured cells was significantly enhanced by AA (10(-4) M) (P less than 0.05). An addition of indomethacin to the culture medium abolished this effect of AA. These results suggested that gastric mucus production was enhanced by AA in vitro and that this effect may be mediated by endogenous PG production.