Effect of cimetidine and carbenoxolone on cysteamine-induced ulcers: a study of gastric mucosal histamine and histamine formation capacity in rat.

Cysteamine-induced ulcers in rat were used to study the effect of ulcer-healing agents with different modes of action on ulcer formation and mucosal histamine. Male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups. Group I had cysteamine injection; group II had cimetidine followed by cysteamine injection; group III had carbenoxolone before cysteamine injection; group IV had carbenoxolone as group III and cimetidine and cysteamine injections; group V had saline injections (controls). In group I 20/29; group II 17/30; group III 15/29; and group IV 23/30 developed ulcers. No significant differences were found. No ulcers were found in group V. Comparison between all groups and controls showed an increase in gastric mucosal histamine and HFC. The increase in histamine was related to ulcer formation. Duodenal and oesophageal histamine did not change significantly. Gastric mucosal histamine and HFC were directly correlated.