Gastric microcirculatory change and development of acute gastric mucosal lesions (stress ulcer).

Concerning the pathogenesis of acute gastric mucosal lesions, gastric microcirculatory change has drawn attention as an important factor. In view of this fact, gastric mucosal blood flow and microvascular structure were investigated in normal and in burn stressed rats. Moreover, alterations in acid and pepsin activities in by morphological and biochemical procedures in order to evaluate the relationship between defensive and aggressive factors of the gastric mucosa. Gastric mucosal blood flow decreased significantly in early period after induction of stress (p less than 0.01). The incidence of ulceration showed a correlative relation with the decrease of mucosal blood flow. Reduction of blood flow in burn was due to opening of arteriovenular shunt and it appeared that this was responsible for mucosal ischemia and congestion. Following the decrease of blood flow, acid output was lower in stress than that in control. Finally, the results of these studies demonstrated the importance of defensive factors. The reduction of mucosal blood flow resulted in the sequence of events that led to formation of acute gastric mucosal lesion.