ZINC ACEXAMATE INHIBITS GASTRIC-ACID AND PEPSINOGEN SECRETION IN THE RAT

Abstract— Pretreatment with zinc acexamate (25–100 mg kg−1 i.p.) inhibited acid and pepsinogen secretion in the pylorus‐ligated rat. Zinc acexamate (5–50 mg kg−1 p.o.) also inhibited the increases in acid secretion induced by carbachol (10 μg kg−1) and 2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (200 mg kg−1) in the perfused stomach of the anaesthetized rat. A delayed antisecretory effect was observed with this drug on histamine induced responses. High concentrations of zinc acexamate (10−5‐10−2 M) did not modify the in‐vitro activity of pepsin. Administration of zinc acexamate resulted in an increase in the presence of pepsinogen at the mucosal level. A morphological examination of the gastric mucosa confirmed an accumulation of zymogencontaining granules in the gastric chief cells of zinc acexamate‐treated rats (50 mg kg−1 p.o.). These results indicate that zinc acexamate decreases acid and pepsinogen secretion in‐vivo, and this may explain its antiulcer activity. 1990 Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain