Abstract: | To date there is a lot of data of literature indicating that microcirculatory disorders play the main role in the development of gastric mucosal damages induced by stress, ethanol, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and tobacco smoke. Under stress gastric mucosal blood flow disorders may be caused by the actication of sympathetic nervous system. Ulcer healing is accompanied by the angiogenesis and by the increase of blood flow in the ulcer border and tissues surrounding the ulcer. Therefore now the main studies are concentrated on the search of defence-enhancing agent rather than drugs for antisecretory therapy. Therapeutic strategy suggests the use of some potential vasodilators such as NO donors, prostaglandin analogues, oxygen radical scavengers, endothelin, leukotrienes, platelet-activating factor antagonists and/or their synthesis inhibitors. At present, the therapeutic possibilities seem to be restricted and nothing indicates that stimulation of the defensive factor only, is more effective in the treatment of peptic ulcer than inhibition of aggressive factors. However we suggest that blood flow correction may be very important for the treatment of refractory ulcers or for prophylaxis of stress ulceration and peptic ulcer recurrence. |