Suramin Enhances Ethanol-Induced Injury to Gastric Mucosa in Rats

Suramin is currently used in clinical practiceas antineoplastic agent because of its complexinteraction with the biological activity of variousgrowth factors involved in tumor progression. Theinfluence exerted by suramin on gastric injury induced inrats by intraluminal injection of absolute ethanol wasinvestigated in the present study. The morphometricanalysis of gastric histological sections revealed that suramin, 18 mg/kg, administeredintraperitoneally for 14 days every other day, caused amarked enhancement of ethanol-induced mucosal damage.This effect was more pronounced 1-8 hr following ethanol administration, and it was still significantafter 48 hr. In suramin-treated animals the evaluationof Alcian blue recovery from gastric-bound mucus showedthat the levels of adherent mucus were significantly lower than those detected in untreated rats. Inaddition, pretreatment with suramin did not modify basalacid secretion, but caused potentiation of acid outputstimulated by pylorus ligation or electrical vagal stimulation. Overall, the present resultsindicate that suramin exerts a negative influence onboth gastric protective and repairing mechanisms. Due tothe peculiar pharmacodynamic profile of suramin, it is suggested that interference withendogenous growth factors, endowed with physiologicalprotective activity on gastric mucosa, might account forthe damage-enhancing action of this drug.