Our previous results demonstrate the gastroprotective but not ulcerogenic action of glucocorticoids released in response to ulcerogenic stress factors. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the gastroprotective action of glucocorticoids in rat stomachs. The effects of deficiency of glucocorticoid production, with or without corticosterone supplementation, on blood flow velocity in gastric microvessels, microvascular permeability, mucus production, motility as well as gastric lesions were studied 3 to 4 h after the onset of ulcerogenic stimuli: water-restraint stress or indomethacin administration. The contribution of glucocorticoids in the healing process of gastric injury was also evaluated. The deficiency in glucocorticoid production significantly potentiated the functional disorders induced by ulcerogenic stimuli, such as a decrease in blood flow velocity and mucus production and an increase in gastric motility and in microvascular permeability, which resulted in aggravation of the formation of gastric lesions as well as impairment of their healing. The changes observed were prevented by supplementation of corticosterone at a dose mimicking a stress-induced corticosterone rise. We conclude that a gastroprotective action of glucocorticoids may be provided by multiple actions, including maintenance of the gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus production, attenuation of the enhanced gastric motility and microvascular permeability as well as beneficial influences on healing processes.

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Glucocorticoid hormones have dual action on the stomach: gastroprotective and ulcerogenic one. The present study was designed to investigate how physiological gastroprotective action of glucocorticoids can be transformed to pathological ulcerogenic effect. Dose- and time-dependent effects of single injection of dexamethasone on indomethacin-induced gastric erosions, corticosterone and blood glucose levels, somatic parameters were investigated in rats. Dexamethasone at the doses of 0.1, 1, 10 mg/kg decreased the gastric erosion area dose dependently in the case of its injection 1 h before indomethacin administration. Gastroprotective action of dexamethasone (at a dose of 1 mg/kg) was also observed in the case of its injection 6 and 12 h before indomethacin. However, the further increase in the time interval caused transformation of gastroprotective action of dexamethasone to ulcerogenic one. Accordingly to the data obtained short-term maintenance of blood glucose level provides the gastroprotective action of dexamethasone, while dexamethasone-induced long-lasting maintenance of blood glucose level accompanied with the signs of catabolic effects may be responsible at least partly for its ulcerogenic effect.

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Glucocorticoids may have dual action on the gastric mucosa: gastroprotective and ulcerogenic. In this article, we review the data which suggested that an initial action of endogenous glucocorticoids, including stress-produced ones as well as exogenous glucocorticoids is gastroprotective and consider possible mechanisms of the conversion of physiological gastroprotective action of glucocorticoid hormones to their pathological ulcerogenic effect.