Abstract
Aspirin was administered intravenously to study its effect upon gastric mucosa at high blood levels in the therapeutic range for rheumatic diseases. Five healthy volunteers were studied twice each with intravenous aspirin (3 g over 2 hr) and isotonic salline infusion as control. In one study, gastric potential difference was measured; in the other, coded gastric biopsies were taken sequentially prior to infusion, and at the end of infusion. Duplicate biopsies were taken for light and scanning electron microscopy. Mean potential difference at the end of the intravenous aspirin infusions was −47.7±1.4 mV, compared with saline, −51.1±2.5 mV (P>0.05). The percentage of cells damaged after 2 hr intravenous infusion of aspirin (3.2±0.4%) was not significantly different from that after intravenous saline (2.6±0.3%). In contrast to oral aspirin, acute administration of aspirin parenterally does not produce detectable histological damage in man, nor does it significantly alter gastric mucosal potential difference. We conclude that high blood levels of circulating salicylate do not acutely damage gastric mucosa. Thus, histologic gastric mucosal damage produced acutely after single oral doses of aspirin are due to its topical, rather than systemic, action.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baskin WN, Ivey KJ, Krause WJ: Aspirin-induced ultrastructural changes in human gastric mucosa. Correlation with potential difference. An Intern Med 85:299–303, 1976
Grossman MI, Matsumoto KK, Lichter RJ: Fecal blood loss produced by oral and intravenous administration of various salicylates. Gastroenterology 40:383–388, 1961
Winkelman EI, Summerskill, WH: Gastric secretion in relation to gastrointestinal bleeding from salicylate compounds. Gastroenterology 40:56–63, 1961
Cooke AR, Goulston K: Failure of intravenous aspirin to increase gastrointestinal blood loss. Br Med J 4:330–332, 1969
Ivey KJ, Morrison S, Gray C: Effect of intravenous salicylates on the gastric mucosal barrier in man. Am J Dig Dis 17:1055–1064, 1972
Trinder P: Rapid determination of salicylates in biological fluids. Biochem J 57:301–303, 1954
Bugat R, Thompson MR, Aures D: Gastric mucosal lesions produced by intravenous infusion of aspirin in cats. Gastroenterology 71:754–759, 1976
Hansen DG, Aures D, Grossman MI: Histamine augments gastric ulceration produced by intravenous aspirin in cats. Gastroenterology 74:540–543, 1978
Guth PH, Paulsen G: Parenteral aspirin and the gastric mucosal barrier. Gastroenterology 72:1066, 1977
Pfeiffer CJ, Lewandowski LG: Comparison of gastric toxicity of acetylsalicylic acid with route of administration in the rat. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 190:5–13, 1971
Rainsford KD: The biochemical pathology of aspirin-induced gastric damage. Agents Actions 5:326–364, 1975
Paul WD, Dryder RL, Routh JI: Effect of buffering agents on absorption of acetylsalicylic acid. J Am Pharm Assoc 39:21–24, 1959
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported in part by the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration and patient care facilities of the Clinical Research Center, NIH grant RR00287-12, of the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ivey, K.J., Paone, D.B. & Krause, W.J. Acute effect of systemic aspirin on gastric mucosa in man. Digest Dis Sci 25, 97–99 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308304
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308304