The inhibitory action of ethanol on the gastric mucosa and its interaction with the vagus in rats

Abstract

The influence of systemic ethanol and/or the vagus on ionic secretion and on glandular mucosal blood flow (GMBF) was studied in an ex-vivo gastric chamber preparation in rats. Sub-diaphragmatic vagotomy decreased H+ secretion and Na+ outflux from the gastric mucosa. Subcutaneous injection of 50% ethanol significantly potentiated these responses, but not the concentrations of 25% and 100%. The three doses of ethanol did not affect the secretion of both H+ and Na+ in vagus-intact animals. Ethanol, however dose-dependently reduced the GMBF in both vagus-intact and sub-diaphragmatic vagotomised rats, and the effect was greater in the latter-operated animals. It is concluded that vagus nerves greatly influence the secretion of both H+ and Na+ the gastric mucosa but the effect is unrelated to GMBF. Systemic ethanol reduced the secretion of these ions only in vagotomised animals, indicating the vagus could play a role in modulating the action of ethanol in the stomach.