The role of direct tissue contact in the production of gastrointestinal ulcers by anti-inflammatory drugs in rats

Abstract

The role of direct contact and systemic activity of phenylbutazone, indomethacin, and ibuprofen in the production of gastrointestinal lesions was studied in the rat comparing the ulcerogenic effects of these drugs after oral and intravenous administration. Phenylbutazone was shown to be more toxic on the stomach than on the intestine but no differences were observed between the two administration routes. Indomethacin was more toxic on the stomach by the oral route than by the intravenous route; the opposite occurred on the intestine. Of the three drugs tested, ibuprofen was the only one which proved to be more toxic orally than intravenously both on the stomach and intestine. In contrast, the anti-inflammatory effects of ibuprofen were equally marked with both routes of administration. The practical implications of these experiments are discussed.