Abstract. We examined gastric mucosal vulnerability in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Male Wistar rats were exposed to cigarette smoke for 12 weeks (CSE rats), and on the last 4 days of exposure, prednisolone was given to induce gastric mucosal injury. Histopathology, pulmonary function, arterial blood gases, and levels of lipid peroxides (LPO), prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha subunit (HIF-1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in gastric mucosa were examined. We also tested the effect of rebamipide on prednisolone-induced gastric lesions. In CSE rats, although no gastric lesions were detected, LPO, PGE 2 , HIF-1α, and VEGF levels were higher than in control rats. Prednisolone induced gastric hemorrhagic lesions more readily in CSE rats than controls, with concomitant decrease in PaO 2 and increased levels of LPO, HIF-1α, and VEGF. Rebamipide reversed gastric lesions without affecting any parameters examined. CSE rats were found to be a useful animal model of COPD, and COPD appeared to render the gastric mucosa vulnerable to prednisolone.