Abstract
The gastric mucosal barrier to hydrogen ion back diffusion is thought to consist of the apical membrane of the surface epithelial cells and the tight junctions of adjacent cells. An alternative hypothesis is that gastric mucus acts as an unstirred layer allowing hydrogen ions diffusing from the lumen, to be neutralised by bicarbonate secreted from the surface epithelial cells (1). If this hypothesis is correct, it should be possible to demonstrate a pH gradient across the mucus layer. In this study the presence of such a mucus pH gradient was looked for in rat fundic mucosa, in vivo and the effects on this pH gradient of potential damaging agents such as aspirin and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) examined.
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References
Heatley NG (1959) Mucosubstance as a barrier to diffusion. Gastroenterology, 37, 313–317.
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© 1982 Plenum Press, New York
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Ross, I.N., Bahari, H.M.M., Turnberg, L.A. (1982). Studies of the pH Gradient Across the Mucus on Rat Gastric Mucosa in Vivo and Across Mucus on Human Gastric Mucosa In Vitro. In: Chantler, E.N., Elder, J.B., Elstein, M. (eds) Mucus in Health and Disease—II. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 144. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9254-9_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9254-9_29
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-9256-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-9254-9
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