Gastric mucosal laminin receptor expression with ulcer healing by ebrotidine.

1. The effect of antiulcer agent, ebrotidine, on the expression of gastric mucosal laminin receptor during ulcer healing was investigated. 2. Rats with acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcers were treated twice daily for 14 consecutive days either with ebrotidine at 100 mg/kg or placebo, and then at different stages of treatment used for the isolation and quantitation of gastric mucosal laminin receptor. 3. The binding assays revealed that the ulcer healing was accompanied by an increase in mucosal expression of laminin receptor. A 2.7-fold increase in the receptor expression occurred by 4th day following the development of ulcer and reached a maximum of 8.6-fold increase by the 14th day when the ulcer was essentially healed. 4. Treatment with ebrotidine caused accelerated ulcer healing (7 days), which was accompanied by a remarkable enhancement in the laminin receptor expression. A 2.5-fold increase in the receptor expression over that of controls occurred by the 4th day of ebrotidine treatment, and a 1.7-fold increase was still observed at the 14th day of treatment. 5. The results suggest that ebrotidine, by evoking enhanced mucosal cell laminin receptor expression, promotes reepithelization and, hence, hastens the ulcer healing.