The gastroprotective activity of phytosphingosine hydrochloride (PS-HCl, CAS 554-62-1) was assessed in four different rat models of experimentally induced gastric ulcer. Various doses (2.5-10 mg/kg) of PS-HCI were orally administered to rats 30 min before the treatment with HCl/ethanol, indometacin, cysteamine, or to rats with ligated pylorus. Oral administration of PS-HCl (2.5-10 mg/kg) to rats prevented the acute ulcer formation in 4 different types of ulcer in a dose-dependent manner as follows: (1) HCl/ethanol-induced gastric mucosal membrane lesions (20.1-47.8% inhibition), (2) indometacin-induced gastric mucosal membrane lesions (4.6-31.9% inhibition), (3) duodenal ulcer induced by cysteamine (10-20% inhibition), (4) gastric secretion and ulceration following pylorus ligation (33.3-61.9% inhibition). These results indicate that PS-HCI may be useful for the prevention of gastric ulcer.