The effects of a prostaglandin E1 analogue, misoprostol, on gastric mucosal blood volume index and haemoglobin oxygenation in humans

A double-blind placebo-controlled parallel design study was conducted in 12 healthy male volunteers to examine the effects of misoprostol, a newly synthesized prostaglandin E₁ analogue, on gastric mucosal haemodynamics in human. The indices of mucosal blood volume (expressed as ΔEr) and mucosal blood haemoglobin oxygenation (Hb-SO₂) were measured at 20 locations in the stomach prior to and after administration of misoprostol or its placebo using reflectance spectrophotometry during endoscopy. It was found that after misoprostol administration, mucosal blood volume was increased by approximately 10–25% throughout the stomach without any significant change in mucosal blood Hb-SO₂. Administration of placebo produced no significant change in these parameters. The results suggest that misoprostol has the potential to accelerate healing of gastric ulcers by increasing the gastric mucosal blood volume and oxygenation in addition to its gastric acid antisecretory activity.