Glandular Part Research Articles

Immunolocalization of a tachykinin-receptor-like protein in the central nervous system ofLocusta migratoria migratorioides andneobellieria bullata

Antisera raised against two distinct peptide regions of the Drosophila neurokinin-like receptor NKD were used to immunolocalize tachykinin-receptor-like proteins in the central nervous system of two insect species: the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, and the gray fleshfly, Neobellieria bullata. The resulting immunopositive staining patterns were identical for both antisera. Moreover, a very similar distribution of the immunoreactive material was observed in fleshflies and locusts. Immunoreactivity was found in nerve terminals of the retrocerebral complex, suggesting a presynaptic localization of the receptor in this part of the brain. Cell bodies were stained in the subesophageal ganglion: an anterior group of four larger cells and a posterior group of about 20 cells. These cells have axons projecting into the contralateral nervus corporis allati (NCA) II, bypassing the corpus allatum and projecting through the NCA I into the storage part of the corpus cardiacum. In the glandular part of the corpus cardiacum, the glandular adipokinetic hormone-producing cells did not show any immunopositive staining. In the locust, additional immunopositive staining was observed in internolaterally located neurons of the tritocerebrum and in important integrative parts of the neuropil such as the central body and the mushroom bodies.

A new operative method to treat high teat stenoses in dairy cows.

To evaluate in a pilot study an alternative technique using theloscopic surgery in the management of proximal teat stenoses of dairy cows. The study included three lactating dairy cows (mean age 3.5 years) with a stenotic fibrous lesion in the proximal region of a teat. The lesions were suspected to be of traumatic origin and the diagnoses were confirmed by ultrasonography. For surgery, the cows were sedated and the base of the teat anaesthetized. The resectoscope was introduced through an incision in the teat cistern. The surgical area was continuously irrigated with saline solution and the stenotic lesions electroresected. Haemorrhage was controlled whenever possible by electrocoagulation. In two cows, the procedure was successful and resulted in normal milk flow. One of the two cows was slaughtered soon after the operation for reasons unrelated to udder health. The other cow could be milked normally at a follow-up examination 4 months later and on ultrasonography, there was no recurrence of the stenotic lesions. In both cows, there was no evidence of concurrent intramammary infection. In the third cow, the procedure had to be discontinued because of severe intraoperative haemorrhage. Video-assisted theloscopic electroresection of fibrotic teats is a promising, novel and minimally invasive technique for the surgical correction of the glandular part of the cistern. It should be considered as an alternative to conventional surgical methods in valuable dairy cows.

The lingual epithelium of Salamandra salamandra: metamorphotic changes during its ontogenesis

The development of the epithelia of the secondary tongue of Salamandra salamandra is described on the basis of light microscopic and scanning electron microscopic studies of defined developmental stages. A glandular area with radial ridges and furrows is formed anterior to the primary tongue during the larval phase. Epithelial cones--each a compact anlage of a gland lying in the furrows--displace the lamina propria. The glandular area grows upward and latero-caudad during metamorphosis and forms the secondary tongue by fusing with the primary tongue. Lumina within the gland anlage appear at the beginning of metamorphosis. They open as glandular tubules towards the oral cavity at the climax of metamorphosis. The epithelial lining becomes single layered and differentiates into gland cells. The glands are increasingly surrounded by fibers of the musculus genioglossus. At the orifice of the gland, the gland cells mingle with the multilayered epithelium of the surface of the tongue. This contains two types of goblet cells in addition to the villus-shaped covering cells which leave gaps for the taste buds. The goblet cells are formed before (type I) and during (type II) metamorphosis and replace the typical larval goblet cells. The new mushroom-shaped part of the secondary tongue is characterized by aborally running septae of connective tissue, visible after digestion with pankreatin. The tip of the primary tongue which originally covers the glandular part becomes completely integrated. It is characterized by crypts which become shallower caudally.

Survey of the oviduct of salamandrids with special reference to the viviparous species

Urodeles include oviparous and a few obligately viviparous species that belong to one family, the Salamandridae. Oviducts of both groups have basically the same design, but some modifications became necessary as viviparous species evolved. The entire oviduct of urodeles is lined by a monolayered epithelium, which is regionally differentiated into large glands and smaller secretory cells rich in glycoproteins. Secretory products important for fertilization form the egg jelly, which also is present in viviparous species. In the latter species, however, there appear to be fewer oviductal convolutions and subdivisions of the glandular part of the organ, as well as fewer gland cells. Viscous, acidic secretory products predominate in viviparous species, whereas resistant neutral mucins predominate in oviparous species. In viviparous species, the caudal portion of the oviduct became altered to retain the developing offspring. This "uterus" lacks glands, but epithelial cells produce carbohydrate-rich material. Offspring remain in the uterus anywhere from several months to five years, depending on the species and climatic conditions. The Na(+)-K(+)-AT-Pase system, common in vertebrate epithelia, is used to regulate the intrauterine milieu. Subepithelial vessels mediate gas exchange and the removal of waste products, mainly urea. Secretions of the uterine epithelium may contribute to the fluid surrounding the young, but do not seem to support nutrition. Sources of nutrition for the young vary from one (sub)species to the next. Some feed on yolk reserves (Salamandra salamandra and certain of its subspecies), others on unfertilized eggs and siblings (other S. salamandra subspecies and Mertensiella luschani with subspecies), and yet others on degrading embryotrophic eggs as well as on cells derived from a specialized uterine trophic zone (S. atra and subspecies). Certain basic alterations in the uterine epithelium during pregnancy are most likely under endocrine control. Others, such as the flattening of cells, the discharge of secretory products, and the development of the trophic zone, may be induced by interactions with the offspring.

Osteopenia after gastrectomy, fundectomy or antrectomy: an experimental study in the rat

Background: Gastrectomy induces osteopenia. In this study, we tested if resection of defined parts of the stomach could reproduce the gastrectomy-evoked osteopenia. Methods: Rats were subjected to gastrectomy (surgical removal of the glandular part of the stomach), fundectomy (extirpation of the acid-producing part, fundus) or antrectomy (extirpation of the gastrin-producing part, antrum). Calvariae, tibiae and femurs were examined at various times after the operations. The calvariae were subjected to transillumination. Calvariae and tibiae were sectioned and analysed by histomorphometry, tibia sections by the aid of a Merz grid and calvaria sections using computer-assisted image analysis. The intact femurs were subjected to computerized microtomography. Results: Gastrectomy (hypogastrinemia) and fundectomy (hypergastrinemia) resulted in osteopenia, while antrectomy (hypogastrinemia) had less effect on bone. Gastrectomy/fundectomy were associated with loss of trabecules in the tibia and with reduced bone volume in both tibia and calvaria. In contrast, there was only little reduction of cortical bone in the femur. Conclusion: Gastrectomy-evoked osteopenia can be reproduced by selective resection of the acid-producing part of the rat stomach (i.e. fundectomy). Antrectomy was less effective. In the long bones, the osteopenia was manifested primarily in trabecular bone and less in cortical bone. The calvaria displayed marked osteopenia. Although the findings indicate that the stomach, notably the acid-producing (oxyntic) mucosa, is important for bone metabolism, the precise mechanisms behind the gastrectomy/fundectomy-evoked osteopenia remain unidentified. Clearly, lack of gastrin is not responsible. The oxyntic mucosa is rich in peptide hormone-producing cells (the so-called ECL cells), with unidentified physiological significance. The ECL cells, which operate under the control of gastrin, have been put forward as a possible source of an osteotropic hormone.

RMAL Is a Glycosphingolipid-Associated Protein of Myelin and Apical Membranes of Epithelial Cells in Kidney and Stomach

rMAL, the rat myelin and lymphocyte protein, is a small hydrophobic protein of 17 kDa with four putative transmembrane domains and is expressed in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, the myelinating cells of the nervous system. In addition, transcript expression has been found in kidney, spleen, and intestine. Confocal microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy with an affinity-purified antibody localized rMAL to compact myelin in a pattern similar to the structural myelin proteins: myelin basic protein and proteolipid protein. In kidney and stomach epithelia, rMAL is located almost exclusively on the apical (luminal) membranes of the cells lining distal tubuli in kidney and the glandular part of the stomach. Biochemical analysis of plasma membranes isolated from spinal cord and kidney demonstrated that rMAL is a proteolipid that is present in detergent insoluble complexes typical for proteins associated with glycosphingolipids. Lipid and protein analysis showed a co-enrichment of glycosphingolipids and rMAL protein within these complexes, indicating a close association of rMAL to glycosphingolipids in myelin and in kidney in vivo. We conclude that specific rMAL-glycosphingolipid interactions may lead to the formation and maintenance of stable protein-lipid microdomains in myelin and apical epithelial membranes. They may contribute to specific properties of these highly specialized plasma membranes.

Metastasizing Adenocarcinoma of the Female Prostate (Skene's Paraurethral Glands): Histological and Immunohistochemical Prostate Markers Studies and First Ultrastructural Observation

The case of a 46-year-old women with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the female prostate (Skene's paraurethral glands and ducts) with inguinal metastases is reported. Besides adenocarcinomatous structures, also more solid parts of the tumor and anaplastic regions with dark cells were found on histological examination. Clear cancerous cells were typical for glandular and solid tumor parts. The cancerous cells showed distinct immunohistochemical positivity of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate (specific) acid phosphatase [P(S)AcP]. These are the first published results of electron microscopic examination of formalin fixed tissue showing the ultrastructure of female prostate carcinoma, comparable to that of the male prostate carcinoma. In the female, similar to the male, the prostate carcinoma probably originates from the secretory (luminal) cells of the female prostatic glands.

A possible role of SchistoFLRFamide in inhibition of adipokinetic hormone release from locust corpora cardiaca.

The distribution and actions of FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) in the corpora cardiaca of the locust Locusta migratoria were studied. Antisera to FMRFamide and SchistoFLRFamide (PDVDHVFLRFamide) label neuronal processes that impinge on glandular cells in the glandular lobe of the corpora cardiaca known to produce adipokinetic hormones. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry revealed that these FaRP-containing processes form synaptoid contacts with the glandular cells. Approximately 12% of the axon profiles present in the glandular part of the corpus cardiacum contained SchistoFLRFamide-immunoreactive material. Retrograde tracing of the axons in the nervus corporis cardiaci II with Lucifer yellow revealed 25-30 labelled neuronal cell bodies in each lateral part of the protocerebrum. About five of these in each hemisphere reacted with the SchistoFLRFamide-antiserum. Double-labelling immunocytochemistry showed that the FaRP-containing processes in the glandular lobe of the corpora cardiaca are distinct from neuronal processes, reacting with an antiserum to the neuropeptide locustatachykinin. The effect of the decapeptide SchistoFLRFamide and the tetrapeptide FMRFamide on the release of adipokinetic hormone I (AKH I) from the cells in the glandular part of the corpus cardiacum was studied in vitro. Neither the deca- nor the tetrapeptide had any effect on the spontaneous release of AKH I. Release of AKH I induced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX, however, was reduced significantly by both peptides. These results point to an involvement of FaRPs as inhibitory modulators in the regulation of the release of adipokinetic hormone from the glandular cells.

Structure of the ovipositor, associated sensilla and spermathecal system of entomoparasitic pipunculid flies (Diptera Pipunculidae)

The external parts of the female reproductive system in entomoparasitic flies of the family Pipunculidae form a compact, heavily sclerotized ovipositor for inserting the egg into the host. Two types of pipunculid ovipositor have been recognized: The Nephrocerus type is bilaterally asymmetrical and consists of modified abdominal segments 8 and 9. There is no spiracle. The genital opening is situate ventrally, approximately in the middle of the ovipositor. The Pipunculus type ovipositor is bilaterally symmetrical and originates from abdominal segments 7, 8 and 9. A pair of spiracles are located venterolaterally near the basal margin; the genital opening is situated close to the apex. Two types of campaniform and two types of haired sensilla have been found (tergum 9 only). Campaniform sensilla have been observed in apical third to apical half of the ovipositor of all studied species. Ten long haired sensilla arranged in two lateral rows on apex have been recognized only in species of Nephrocerus. Short haired sensilla have been found in all Chalarinae and Pipunculinae, situated in basal half of the ovipositor piercer. The spermathecal system consists of three spermathecae; well sclerotized (Nephrocerinae, Chalarinae) or soft and membraneous (Pipunculinae); and three spermiducts which can be undifferentiated and tubular (Nephrocerus) or differentiated to muscular, glandular and ductal parts (Chalarinae, Pipunculinae). In the Nephrocerus type ovipositor, spermathecae are situated in the distal half of abdominal segment 6; all other Pipunculidae have spermathecae located in the basal part of the ovipositor.

Venom gland morphology in Pepsis pallidolimbata pallidolimbata and biological use and activity of Pepsis venom

Spider wasps, i.e., the family Pompilidae, in general, and those belonging to the genus Pepsis in particular, are acknowledged to possess venoms that are algogenic to humans and thus have the parsimonious functions of causing paralysis and providing defense against predators. The morphological organization of the venom system and its complex convoluted gland closely resembles that in social members of the Vespidae. These features distinguish the venom glands of the Pompilidae from those of the sibling family Mutillidae as well as those of the family Sphecidae, which lack convoluted glands. Although the venom glands in Pepsis species are very similar in morphology to those of social vespids, the lethality of Pepsis venom to mammals is several times less than that of the social common wasps. These findings suggest that in terms of the evolution of venom activity and the associated glandular structures, there was apparently no need for social wasps to develop extra parts of the venom system for producing toxic, lethal, or powerful algogenic components. All of the glandular parts of the venom gland of social wasps were already present in pompilids (and eumenids) and, presumably, in their ancestors.

Postnatal development of B lymphocytes and immunoglobulin-containing plasma cells in the chicken oviduct: studies on cellular distribution and influence of sex hormones.

Postnatal development of B lymphocytes and plasma cells containing different classes of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM) was immunohistochemically studied in the oviduct of the Dekalb strain of the White Leghorn chicken. B lymphocytes first appeared in the lamina propria of the chicken oviduct at 5 weeks of age. Their frequency of occurrence peaked at 15 weeks from the infundibulum to the uterus (glandular part), while in the vagina (aglandular part) it did so at 21 weeks. Intraepithelial B lymphocytes were very rare and exclusively located in the vagina at 19 and 21 weeks. Plasma cells first appeared in the lamina propria of the oviduct at 11 weeks of age, and this frequency peaked at 32 weeks. IgG-containing plasma cells were most numerous in the glandular part, whereas in the aglandular part IgA and IgM cells were more numerous than IgG cells. When 7-day-old-chickens were treated with sex hormones, B lymphocytes and plasma cells appeared 12 h and 5 days after the hormone injection, respectively. Their frequency of occurrence was statistically higher in diethylstibestrol (DES)-treated chickens than in DES plus progesterone-treated chickens. This suggests that the postnatal development of B lymphocytes and plasma cells in the oviduct of the chicken is correlated to estrogen secretion.

Trehalose inhibits the release of adipokinetic hormones from the corpus cardiacum in the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, at the level of the adipokinetic cells.

The effect of trehalose at various concentrations on the release of adipokinetic hormones (AKHs) from the adipokinetic cells in the glandular part of the corpus cardiacum of Locusta migratoria was studied in vitro. Pools of five corpora cardiaca or pools of five glandular parts of corpora cardiaca were incubated in a medium containing different concentrations of trehalose in the absence or presence of AKH-release-inducing agents. It was demonstrated that trehalose inhibits spontaneous release of AKH I in a dose-dependent manner. At a concentration of 80 mM, which is the concentration found in the hemolymph at rest, trehalose significantly decreased the release of AKH I induced by 100 microM locustatachykinin 1, 10 microM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) or high potassium concentrations. The specificity of the effect of trehalose was studied by incubating pools of corpora cardiaca with the non-hydrolyzable disaccharide sucrose or with glucose, the degradation product of trehalose, both in the presence and absence of 10 microM IBMX. Sucrose had no effect at all on the release of AKH I, whereas glucose strongly inhibited its release. The results point to the inhibitory effect of trehalose on the release of AKH I being exerted, at least partly, at the level of the adipokinetic cells, possibly after its conversion into glucose. The data presented in this study support the hypothesis that in vivo the relatively high concentration of trehalose (80 mM) at rest strongly inhibits the release of AKHs. At the onset of flight, the demand for energy substrates exceeds the amount of trehalose that can be mobilized from the fat body and consequently the trehalose concentration in the hemolymph decreases. This relieves the inhibitory effect of trehalose on the release of AKHs, which in turn mobilize lipids from the fat body.

Lectin Histochemistry of the Glandular Part of the Gastric Mucosa of the One Humped Camel (Camelus dromedaries).

Different lectins conjugated either to horseradish peroxides (HRP) or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were used to detect sugar residues of the epithelial glycoprotein in the gastric mucosa of the one humped camel (Camelus dromedaries). All mucus secreting cells were rich in oligosaccharides with terminal galactose (Gal), N-acetylgalactosamine (GaINAc), N-acetylglucosamine (GIcNAc), and neuraminic acid residues while α-L-fucose (a-L-Fuc.) could not be localized by FITC- conjugated UEA-I (Ulex europeus agglutinin-l). Surface mucous cells (SMC) and foveolar mucous cells (FMC) were devoid of α-D-glucose (α-D-Glc.) and α-D-mannose (aD-Man.), although glandular mucous cells (GMC) were rich in these sugars. Sialic acid with mono or di-0-acetyl substitution at carbons 7, 8, 9 of their polyhydroxyl side chain was the predominant form of the neuraminic acid.

Availability of arachidonic acid in major phospholipids of mucosa and the stomach wall of rats.

The purpose of this study was to examine the availability of arachidonic acid in phosphatdidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of mucosa and the stomach wall of adult male Wistar rats fed a standard diet. There were significant differences in the fatty acid composition of PC and PE between various parts of the stomach. The mucosa had the lowest level of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in PC, followed by the corresponding stomach wall or glandular part, whereas the forestomach or the upper part had the highest level of 20:4n-6. The level of 20:4n-6 in PE was identical in gastric mucosa and the stomach wall of both the lower and upper parts. The levels of 18:1n-9 and 18:2n-6 were significantly higher in both PC and PE of mucosa than in the stomach wall. The levels of 16:0 and 18:0 in PC were lower in mucosa than in either forestomach or the glandular part. In mucosal PE, the levels of 18:0 and 22:6n-3 were lower than in forestomach and glandular part. The glandular part had significantly higher level of 16:0 and lower level of 20:4n-6 in PC compared to the forestomach. The arachidonic acid level of PC was significantly different in various parts of the rat stomach, with the lowest level in mucosa, whereas the level of 20:4n-6 in PE was identical in mucosa and stomach wall. These phospholipids had higher levels of saturated fatty acids in the stomach wall than in gastric mucosa.

Differential expression of extracellular matrix components during the morphogenesis of human gastric mucosa.

Components of extracellular matrix play a crucial role in morphogenesis and epithelial cell differentiation. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal expression and distribution of several major extracellular macromolecules of developing and adult human gastric mucosa, with particular emphasis on the pit-gland axis. Indirect immunofluorescence was performed on cryosections of developing and adult gastric tissues by using specific antibodies. From 8 weeks of gestation onward, including adults, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, type IV collagen, and laminin alpha 1, beta 1, and gamma 1 chains were systematically and uniformly located at the basement membrane of the stratified epithelium (8-11 weeks) and of surface and pit-gland epithelia. Between 8 and 20 weeks of gestation, fibronectin and tenascin were colocalized throughout the entire mesenchyme. In adult mucosa, fibronectin was distributed at all levels of surface and glandular epithelium, whereas tenascin expression was restricted to surface and pit epithelial cells. The expression of the alpha 2 laminin chain was first detected at 12 weeks at the base of forming gastric glands. In the adult, the alpha 2 as opposed to the alpha 1 chain of laminin was confined to the basement membrane of the glandular and lower part of gastric pit epithelia. This analysis of the composition of the extracellular matrix in human gastric mucosa suggests an important role for some of its components in morphogenesis and maintenance of gastric glands.

Morphological Investigation of the marine tubificidClitellio arenarius(Annelida, Oligochaeta)

Abstract Light and scanning electron microscopy was carried out to reinvestigate the morphology of Clitellio arenarius (Annelida, Oligochaeta), the first marine oligochaete ever described. New morphological information about the spermathecae and the female and male genital ducts is provided. The paired spermathecae, which contain spermatozeugmata after copulation, each consists of a narrow duct and a voluminous ampulla. Close to the ampulla a muscle fibre surrounds the duct, forming a sphincter. The ampulla consists of two parts, one with a thin and the other with a thick wall. The two parts are separated by a thin diaphragm with a small orifice in the middle. The male genital ducts consist of paired sperm funnels, vasa deferentia and atria which terminate in penes. The vas deferens is composed of two parts, one thin-walled and the other thick-walled, both with cilia. The atrium, the glandular part ofthe male duct, is tubular, long and ciliated throughout. Specimens of Clitellio arenarius from the west coast of Sweden and the south coast of England are compared. The only differences found are in the shape of the setae and the length of vas deferens; the worms from England have bifid setae and longer vasa deferentia, those from Sweden have single-pointed as well as a few bifid setae.

Morphology of neurones in the storage part of the corpus cardiacum of Locusta migratoria: no evidence for their involvement in the regulation of adipokinetic cell activity

The storage part of the corpus cardiacum of Locusta migratoria consists of two compartments: a neural part on the haemocoelic side containing neuronal cell bodies that are protected by a blood-brain barrier, and a neurohaemal part adjacent to the aorta. Intracellular filling of the neurones in the neural part with Lucifer yellow followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy has revealed that these neurones can be divided into several classes. None of the neurones has processes extending into the glandular part of the corpus cardiacum. They are, therefore, not directly involved in the regulation of adipokinetic cell activity.

The setaceous membrane of honey bee ( Apis mellifera L.) workers' sting apparatus: Structure and alarm pheromone distribution

To evaluate the contribution of the setaceous membrane of the worker to the defensive behaviour of a bee colony, we studied its fine structure and the effect of alarm pheromones present on the membrane surface on the reaction of guards. Groups of guards at the hive entrances displayed defence behaviour when stimulated with volatiles from the setaceous membranes. Transmission electron microscopy sections of the setaceous membrane did not reveal any structure characteristic of an exocrine gland, in contrast to the sting sheaths or the Koschewnikow glands. Both surfaces of the membrane are abundantly covered with setae, which can considerably increase the general surface of the membrane and thus are suited for a quick discharge of alarm pheromones. The setaceous membrane serves only as a platform to release the alarm pheromones originating from the glandular part of the sting sheaths and the Koschewnikow glands.

The gastrointestinal tract of the rock hyrax ( Procavia habessinica). 1. Morphology and motility patterns of the tract

The stomach of the rock hyrax ( Procavia habessinica) is divided into a non glandular part with very slow movements, and a glandular part which rapidly mix the digesta. The large intestine has two fermentation chambers, the caecum, which rapidly mixes the digesta, and the colonie sac, which efficiently, but slowly, mixes digesta. Between these chambers runs the connecting colon. No retrograde transport is observed in any part of the large intestine.

Protection against necrotizing agents-induced gastric lesions in rats

Effects of necrotizing agents, blockers of gastric motility, and mild irritants on gastric mucosa and gastric motility were investigated in conscious rats. Gastric motor activity was recorded using a miniature balloon placed in the glandular part of the stomach, which was connected to a pressure transducer and polygraph. Necrotizing agents, such as 96% ethanol, 0.6 N hydrochloric acid, 0.2 N sodium hydroxide, or 4 M sodium chloride, were given intragastrically through a fistula on the forestomach. One milliliter of these agents produced hemorrhagic bandlike lesions in the corpus mucosa along the long axis of the stomach with the occurrence of a complete inhibition of gastric motility (smooth muscle relaxation). Blockers of gastric motility alone, such as subcutaneous papaverine HCl (50 mg/kg), and intraperitoneal verapamil (20 mg/kg), or mild irritants (1 ml/rat, orally) such as 20% ethanol or 1 M NaCl, which by themselves suppressed gastric motility, have no effect on gastric mucosa and on the inhibited gastric motility induced by necrotizing agents. Bandlike lesions were significantly prevented by pretreatment with 20% ethanol or 1 M NaCl but not with papaverine HCl or verapamil administered 30 min before necrotizing agents. The gastroprotection offered by 20% ethanol or 1 M NaCl was significantly diminished by pretreatment with subcutaneous indomethacin (30 mg/kg), but the inhibited gastric motility was not reversed by indomethacin. These results indicate that it seems unlikely that gastric contractile activity would play a major role in the development and prevention of gastric lesions after the administration of necrotizing agents.