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Gastric adaptation occurs with aspirin administration in man

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Abstract

Endoscopy has become a standard method to evaluate drug-induced damage to the gastroduodenal mucosa; however, studies defining the time course, extent, and duration of the injury in man are unavailable. We report a systematic endoscopic evaluation of the effect of aspirin administration on the gastric mucosa in normal volunteers. Aspirin (2.6 g/day) or placebo was administered for 1 or 7 days. Gastroscopy was performed after 1, 2, 4, and 8 days, and every other day thereafter until the lesions resolved. Submocosal hemorrhages and/or focal erosions were present within 24 hr in all subjects. With continuous aspirin administration, injury was maximal within 3 days and then lessened, ie, damage present after 7 days of aspirin was significantly less than after 1 day of therapy. The time to resolution of the damage was also longer following 1 day than after 7 days of aspirin (median 8 days for 1 day of aspirin vs median 3 days for 7 days of aspirin). Thus, gastric mucosal adaptation occurred and was associated both with less damage and with an accelerated healing process. Acute administration of aspirin produced well-defined areas of submucosal hemorrhages within 2 hr of administration; additional doses increased the area of involvement but not necessarily the severity of involvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Digestive Disease Section Department of Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, 77211, Houston, Texas

    David Y. Graham MD, J. Lacey Smith MD & Stuart M. Dobbs MD

  2. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

    David Y. Graham MD, J. Lacey Smith MD & Stuart M. Dobbs MD

Authors
  1. David Y. Graham MD
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  2. J. Lacey Smith MD
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  3. Stuart M. Dobbs MD
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Graham, D.Y., Lacey Smith, J. & Dobbs, S.M. Gastric adaptation occurs with aspirin administration in man. Digest Dis Sci 28, 1–6 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01393353

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01393353

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