Prevention of acrylonitrile-induced gastrointestinal bleeding by sulfhydryl compounds, atropine and cimetidine.
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Abstracto
We have recently demonstrated that acrylonitrile (VCN) causes acute gastric hemorrhage and mucosal erosions. The current studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of the sulfhydryl-containing compounds, cysteine and cysteamine, the cholinergic blocking agent atropine and the histamine H2 receptor antagonist, cimetidine on the VCN-induced gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in rats. Our data shows that pretreatment with L-cysteine, cysteamine, atropine or cimetidine has significantly protected rats against the VCN-induced GI bleeding. A possible mechanism of the VCN-induced GI bleeding may involve the interaction of VCN with critical sulfhydryl groups that, in turn, causes alteration of acetylcholine muscarinic receptors to lead to gastric hemorrhagic lesions and bleeding.