Taurodeoxycholate Modulates the Effects of Pepsin and Trypsin in Experimental Esophagitis

摘要

Pepsin and trypsin cause erosive, hemorrhagic lesions in our rabbit model of experimental esophagitis. Since the gastroduodenal contents of patients with reflux esophagitis may also contain bile salts, we used our model to determine the effect that a bile salt, taurodeoxycholate (TDC), would have on the esophageal mucosa when combined with either pepsin in an acid perfusate (pH 2) or trypsin an an alkaline perfusate (pH 7.5). Indexes of esophageal injury included gross appearance of the mocosa, microscopic examination, and mucosal barrier integrity as determined by permeability to hydrogen ion. We found that when 5 mM TDC was combined with pepsin (0.3 mg/ml), the gross and microscopic changes of esophagitis, as well as net hydrogen ion flux, were diminished when compared with those observed with pepsin exposure alone. When increasing concentrations of TDC (2 to 10 mM) were added to pepsin, the morphologic degree of injury as well as hydrogen ion flux decreased in a dose-dependent manner.