Uric acid was evaluated for its potential to protect the gastric mucosa against the
injuries caused by 80%
ethanol, 0.6 m-HCl and 0.2 M-NaOH in rats.
Uric acid at doses of 50, 100 or 300 mg/kg
body weight provided dose-dependent protection against the ulcerogenic effects of all three agents. Other effects caused by
ethanol only were studied. Serum
uric acid concentrations were statistically significantly increased by both
uric acid and
ethanol treatments. Treatments of rats by gavage with 1 ml 80%
ethanol was found to cause depletion of stomach-wall mucus, to lower the concentrations of
protein,
nucleic acids and non-
protein sulphydryl groups in the stomach wall, and to cause histopathological lesions, including
necrosis, erosions, congestion and haemorrhage, of the stomach wall. Treatment with
uric acid, at doses of 50, 100 or 300 mg/kg
body weight, by gavage, provided some measure of protection against all of these effects, and the protection was generally dose dependent. The protective effects of
uric acid against damage to the gastric-wall mucosa may be mediated through its effects on mucus production and non-
protein sulphydryl concentrations, and/or its
free-radical scavenging properties.