Effect of a novel antiulcer drug, lafutidine, on experimental chronic gastritis in rats

Oral administration of an ammonia solution (0.01 %) or a sodium taurocholate solution (TCA solution, 5 mM) as drinking water for 4 weeks or 13 weeks, respectively, resulted in gastric mucosal thinning and decreased parietal cell numbers. Oral administration of TCA solution also caused cell infiltration in the lamina propria of the mucosa and mucosal fibrosis. When lafutidine (3, 10 mg/kg) was administered orally once daily for one week after the withdrawal of ammonia or TCA solution, the recovery of the mucosal thickness in the fundic gland area and the parietal cell number were significantly accelerated, and the recovery of mucosal thickness in the pyloric gland area also tended to be accelerated. Lafutidine at 10 mg/kg for 1 week had no influence on normal mucosal thickness and parietal cell numbers. At the doses that produce equal or greater acid antisecretory effect than lafutidine, oral administration of cimetidine (30 mg/kg) and famotidine (1 mg/kg) had no effect on either of these atrophy indexes. These results demonstrate that lafutidine, unlike cimetidine and famotidine, can accelerate the healing of mucosal injuries in ammonia- and TCA-induced chronic gastritis models.