Role of adrenal gland hormones in the mechanism of antiulcer action of nimesulide and ranitidine.

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated whether the antiulcer effects of nimesulide (100 mg kg(-1) and ranitidine (150 mg kg(-1) were dependent on the adrenal cortex hormones. The antiulcer effects of nimesulide and ranitidine were examined in the indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model in rats (first experiment). The mean ulcer areas in the control and ranitidine-treated groups were 11.1 +/- 3.18, 1.4 +/- 1.11 mm2, respectively. There was not any gastric damage in nimesulide-treated group. The mean ulcer area of control group (second experiment) administered metyrapone and indomethacin was 11.8 +/- 9.9, and it measured 2.0 +/- 1.41 mm2 in ranitidine-given group, while gastric damage was not observed in nimesulide-administered group. In adrenalectomized and indomethacin-treated rats (third experiment), the mean ulcer area was 17.9 +/- 11.5 mm2 in the nimesulide group, gastric ulcer was not seen in ranitidine group. In adrenalectomized rats (fourth experiment), the mean ulcer areas were 29 +/- 14.3, 23 +/- 11.2 and 1.3 +/- 2.4 mm2 in control group given indomethacin, only nimesulide or indomethacin + ranitidine, respectively. The obtained results indicated that adrenal cortex hormones played a role in antiulcer effect of nimesulide, but not ranitidine.