Morphological evaluation of ethylic damage on gastric mucosal repair after surgery

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The damage caused by either yeasted or distilled alcoholic beverages on repair of gastric mucosa is not totally clear. The aim of this work was to verify morphologically the effect of ethylic damage on the initial repair of gastric surgery. METHODOLOGY: Eighteen albino rats equitably were divided into an experimental group receiving a placebo (EGpl), experimental group receiving fermented ethanol (EGfe) and experimental group receiving distilled ethanol (EGde). All of the rats were submitted to standardized gastric surgery of the fundic wall. During the first 6 post-operative days, 1ml of distilled water to EGpl, 1ml of ethanol 11.8% to EGfe and 1ml of ethanol 43% to EGde were intragastrically administered on a daily basis. All of the animals were killed on the 7th post-operative day and fragments of fundic mucosa at the site of suture were adequately processed and a comparative observation was carried out through light and electron microscopies. RESULTS: Both, low (wine) and high (whisky) concentrations of ethanol in the alcoholic beverage produced mild and severe erosion, respectively, on the gastric superficial lining epithelium. CONCLUSIONS: The severe erosion of the epithelium was counterbalanced by an explosive secretion of gastric mucus caused by the high concentration of ethanol, but reepithelization of surgical repair, either of EGfe or EGde was slower than of EGpl.