Effects of nitric oxide on gastric ulceration induced by nicotine and cold-restraint stress

Table 1 Effects of nicotine and acute nitric oxide treatment on gastric ulceration and adhesion mucus content in rats

Experimentalgroup	No. of rats with lesions	Ulcer index (mm)	Adhesion mucus content (μg/g wet glandular tissue)
A. No stress (unrestrained at 22 °C for 2 hours)
Tap water	2 (7)	0.04 ± 0.03	382 ± 38
Nicotine alone	3 (8)	0.05 ± 0.03	283 ± 27a
Nicotine + NO (acute)	2 (8)	0.06 ± 0.04	276 ± 28a
B. Stress (restrained at 4 °C for 2 hours)
Tap water	8 (8)c	6.0 ± 0.7	200 ± 17b
Nicotine alone	8 (8)c	19.0 ± 1.7ad	152 ± 14ab
Nicotine + NO (acute)	7 (7)c	17.8 ± 1.7ad	143 ± 15ab

Values are mean ± SD. Number of rats in each group is shown in parentheses. Lesions: Only petechiae in stomach were seen in non-stressed condition. Both petechiae and haemorrhagic ulcer in stomach were observed in stressed condition. Tap water: Rats drank water as control. Nicotine alone: Rats drank nicotine water (50 µg/ml) for 20 days. Nicotine + NO (acute): Rats drank nicotine water (50 µg/ml) for 20 days. Rats were given NO donor 60 min and 10 min twice by oral gavages before stress.

^aP < 0.05 when compared to its own tap water control in A or B.

^bP < 0.05,

^cP < 0.01,

^dP < 0.001 when compared to the corresponding control in A.