Experimental study, in the rat, on the protection of the gastric mucosa by the combination of an antacid and a montmorrillonite.

The stomach wall is protected by its own secretion of mucus. The superficial layer consist of a parietal film of acid mucus, adhering to the epithelium. The acid mucus reach its maximum viscosity at pH 5. We investigate, in the rat, the interaction between this mucus with a montmorillonite, a kind of clay, known to have a mucoprotective effect, and with the association of montmorillonite and an antiacid drug. Three hours after ingestion the clay particles saturated the parietal mucus, then, up to the sixth hour their abondance decrease. The parietal film of mucus is abundant until the sixth hour, this data confirm the protection of the gastric mucosa by this drugs association.