Background: Trauma patients are at risk for the development of stress ulceration. Stress ulceration should be associated with increased heat-shock gene (iHSP70) and an inhibition of the trefoil peptide, spasmolytic polypeptide (SP), and mucin (MUC5AC) gene expressions.
Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (10 weeks old) were restrained for 0-, 4-, 8-, 12-, and 24-hour periods of time. Gastric ulcers were graded using a one- to three-point scoring system. The level of mucosal gene expression was determined at each time point for three genes: iHSP70, SP, and MUC5AC.
Results: Gastric ulceration developed in direct proportion to the duration of restraint. Gastric ulceration was preceded by increased iHSP70 and decreased SP and MUC5AC gene expressions.
Conclusion: Restraint-induced gastric ulceration was preceded by an up-regulation of iHSP70 and a down-regulation of SP and MUC5AC gene expressions.