EFFECT OF NEUTROPENIA ON GASTRIC-MUCOSAL INTEGRITY AND MUCOSAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHESIS IN THE RAT

The present study examined the interaction between neutrophils and gastric mucosal nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in the regulation of gastric mucosal integrity in the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made neutropenic by intraperitoneal injections of methotrexate (MT; 2.5 mg/kg) or antineutrophil serum (ANS; 100 mul). Control rats were treated with saline. Neutropenia was confirmed by circulating neutrophil counts and tissue myeloperoxidase activity. Neutropenic or control rats were given 2 ml of ethanol (EtOH; 40% w/v intragastrically). Neutropenic rats were less susceptible to EtOH-induced mucosal damage when compared to control rats. Mucosal NO synthesis was increased in neutropenic rats. EtOH instillation reduced NO synthase in control rats. However, in MT-treated rats the reduced NO synthase activity was not different from that observed in untreated control rats. Conclusions: (1) EtOH-mediated gastric mucosal injury appears to be a neutrophil-mediated process. (2) Neutropenia results in an increase in mucosal NO synthesis. (3) MT treatment augments the degree of mucosal integrity. The increase in integrity is associated with a reduction in mucosal neutrophil infiltration as well as maintenance of NO synthase activity. ANS appears to influence mucosal integrity primarily by a reduction in circulating neutrophils.