Changes of gastric mucosal biochemistry in ethanol-treated rats with and without acute surgical vagotomy

The biochemical background of ethanol-(ETOH) induced gastric mucosal damage was studied in rats with intact vagus and after acute surgical vagotomy. Observations were carried out on Sprague-Dawley (CFY) strain rats of both sexes. Gastric mucosal lesions were produced by intragastric administration of 1 ml 96% ethanol. Bilateral truncal surgical vagotomy was carried out 30 min before ETOH administration. The number and severity of gastric mucosal lesions was noted 1 h after ETOH administration. Biochemical measurements (gastric mucosal level of ATP, ADP, AMP, cAMP and lactate) were carried out from the total homogenized gastric mucosa. The adenylate pool (ATP + ADP + AMP), energy charge ((ATP + 0.5 ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP)) and ratio of ATP/ADP were calculated. It was found that: 1) ATP transformation into ADP increased, while ATP transformation in cAMP decreased in ethanol-treated animals with intact vagus nerve, while these transformations were quite the opposite in vagotomized animals; 2) no significant changes were found in the tissue level of lactate: and 3) the extent of biochemical changes was significantly less after surgical vagotomy. It is concluded that an intact vagus is basically necessary for the metabolic adaptation of gastric mucosa.