TERANO A. Role of antioxidant defenses against ethanol-induced damage in cultured rat gastric epithelial cells

Reactive oxygen species appears to be involved in the patho-genesis of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in vivo. Be-cause ingested ethanol diffuses into the gastric mucosa, tar-geting both epithelium and endothelium, in the present study we examined the possible protective effect of antioxidants on ethanol damage in gastric epithelial cells and endothelial cells in vitro. Cytotoxicity by ethanol was quantified by measuring 51Cr release. The effects of impairment of the glutathione redox cycle and of inhibition of cellular catalase were examined. The generation of superoxide was assessed by the reduction in cytochrome c. Ethanol caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in 51Cr release from epithelial cells. Incubation of cells with DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine, while reducing glutathi-one production, dose dependently enhanced ethanol-induce