Effects of a new sigma ligand, JO 1784, on cysteamine ulcers and duodenal alkaline secretion in rats.

Background: The ulceroprotective effects of JO 1784 [(+)-N-cyclopropyl-methyl-N-methyl-1,4-diphenyl-1-ethyl-but-3-en-1-yl amine, hydrochloride], a new specific and highly selective sigma ligand, were examined in rats.
Methods: Different models of gastric ulcers (4-hour restraint stress, aspirin, ethanol, and taurocholate) and cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers were used. The gastric acid secretion (4-hour Shay rat preparation) and the duodenal bicarbonate secretion were also studied.
Results: JO 1784 elicited a potent protection against duodenal ulcers but had a weaker protective effect on any of the gastric ulceration models tested. It displayed no gastric antisecretory activity but induced a dose-dependent stimulation of duodenal bicarbonate secretion. Haloperidol, hexamethonium, tetrodotoxin, bivagotomy (but not atropine), and the intravenous but not intracerebroventricular administration of devazepide, a cholecystokinin A antagonist, inhibited the stimulatory effect of JO 1784.
Conclusion: These results show that JO 1784, a selective sigma ligand, is a potent protector of the duodenal mucosa. This activity may be related to its stimulating effect on bicarbonate secretion, which is driven through a complex nervous mechanism involving muscarinic synapses, vagal afferent fibers, and peripheral cholecystokinin receptors. This drug might open a new specific way in the treatment of duodenal ulcers.