Gastric mucosal phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide increases during cold water-immersion restraint stress in rats.

To know the role of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions, we performed the present study. Both gastric mucosal lesions and gastric mucosal phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides (PCOOH) levels during cold water-immersion restraint (CWIR) stress were measured by the chemiluminecence-HPLC method in Sprague-Dawley rats. Ulcer indices increased time-dependently during the stress. Gastric mucosal PCOOH levels also significantly increased and reached a peak level (250% of untreated level) after 2 hr of stress. These results suggest that lipid peroxidation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal lesions induced CWIR stress.