Abstract
Sucralfate is unique among pharmaceutical approaches to peptic ulceration in that it binds to the ulcer site as described in more detail in Chapter 10. However, the binding of a protective agent to the surface it protects has been exploited in the protection of nonbiological surfaces since ancient man first put bear grease on his spears to stop them from rusting. The same principle is retained in modern-day corrosion inhibitors which are surfactants that function by coating the surfaces they protect by a process known in the physical sciences as adsorption, 1 the deposited lining often rendering the surface hydro- phobic. This aspect has led to the realization2 that many corrosion inhibitors closely resemble the highly surface-active disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) found in the lung where there is increasing evidence3 for its binding to the alveolar mucosa in addi- tion to its more traditional role of reducing surface tension. In this chapter we pursue the mounting body of evidence supporting the concept of endogenous gastric surfactant providing the gastric mucosal barrier and review the capability of sucralfate to compensate for any deficiency.
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References
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Hills BA: What is the true role of surfactant in the lung? Thorax 36:1–4, 1981.
Hills BA: The Biology of Surfactant. London, Cambridge University Press, 1988. References 1–3 provide a general background in surfactants in general (No. 1) and pulmonary surfactant (Nos. 2 and 3), including an outline of its possible roles in many organs (No. 3).
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© 1995 Plenum Press
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Hills, B.A. (1995). Effect on Gastric Surfactant. In: Hollander, D., Tytgat, G.N.J. (eds) Sucralfate. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-32154-7_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-32154-7_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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