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Background-Acid stable basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) promotes angiogenesis and healing of gastric ulcers in rats and reduces subsequent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) induced relapse. Aims-To test in a double blind, placebo controlled, three way crossover study whether bFGF promotes healing and reduces subsequent relapse in a human model of gastric ulceration. Subjects-Twelve healthy volunteers. Methods-Subjects took aspirin 900 mg twice daily (days 1-3) with bFGF 01 mg twice daily or cimetidine 400 mg twice daily or placebo (days 1-14) and then indomethacin 50 mg thrice daily (days 15-21). Endoscopy was performed on days 1, 4, 8, 15, and 22 during each treatment period. Eight antral biopsy specimens were taken on day 1 and the number of unhealed biopsy induced mini-ulcers and NSAID induced erosions counted during subsequent endoscopies. Results-Basic FGF and cimetidine were protective against aspirin and indomethacin induced duodenal (but not gastric) injury compared with placebo. There was significant relapse of biopsy induced mini-ulcers after indomethacin only in the placebo group (0 (0-0) before v 1 (0-45) after; p>0'05). TGP-580 was detected in serum of one volunteer.Conclusions-Healing with bFGF (and cimetidine) was associated with reduced NSAID induced ulcer replapse in this model of gastric ulceration.

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The response of the pig myometrium to electrical stimulation in vitro was used to assess the influence of the female sex hormones at different stages of the oestrus cycle. Optimal stimulation produced greater tension in the mature uterus than in the immature uterus and the tension was greater in the oestrogen‐dominated uterus than in the progesterone‐dominated uterus. The minimum (threshold) voltage necessary to elicit an isometric contraction was not influenced by the stage of the uterus in the oestrus cycle. Varying the frequency of stimulation caused changes in tension indicating the predominant sex hormone. The progesterone‐dominated myometrium appears to bind calcium more strongly than the oestrogen‐dominated myometrium.

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