Effect of prostaglandins on mucosal blood flow and aspirin-induced damage in the canine stomach.

This study deals with the action in anesthetized dogs of prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha given into the celiac artery and the femoral vein on gastric mucosal blood flow and on gastric mucosal damage induced by aspirin. In the non-stimulated stomach, infusion of prostaglandin E2 or F2 alpha into the celiac artery resulted in a marked increase in mucosal blood flow and a sustained decrease, respectively. In contrast, an infusion of prostaglandin E2 into the femoral vein produced a decrease in mucosal blood flow, whereas prostaglandin F2 alpha produced a biphasic response: a transient increase followed by a decrease. It was observed that intravenously infused prostaglandin E2, while reducing mucosal blood flow, significantly diminished mucosal lesions, altered transmucosal potential differences and H+ back-diffusion induced by a topical application of aspirin. The findings indicate that the action of prostaglandins on gastric mucosal blood flow alters depending on the route of administration and that prostaglandins seem to exert gastric cytoprotection through mechanisms other than an increase in mucosal blood flow.