Influence of Rebamipide on leptin expression in gastric mucosa with portal hypertensive gastropathy

AIM: To investigate the influence of Rebamipide on the expression of leptin in gastric mucosa with portal hypertensive gastropathy, and to evaluate its role in the prevention of gastric mucosal injury. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects and thirty patients were involved in this study. The former were randomized into normal control and normal intervention group, and the latter into blank control and trial group (15 for each). Normal intervention and trial group were treated with Rebamipide. Endoscopy was performed and the level of leptin mRNA expression in gastric mucosa was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) before and after the treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, the expression of leptin mRNA was significantly higher in blank control and trial group than that in normal control group (0.816 ± 0.132, 0.803 ± 0.143 vs 0.344 ± 0.202, P < 0.05). After 4 wk treatment with Rebamipide, the level of leptin mRNA expression in trail group was markedly higher than that in blank control and normal intervention group (1.120 ± 0.237 vs 0.867 ± 0.170, 0.397 ± 0.199, P < 0.01). In the trial group, the endoscopic pathological appearance was alleviated in 12 of 14 patients in comparison with 0 of 12 in the blank control group. CONCLUSION: Rebamipide may protect gastric mucosa against injury in portal hypertensive gastropathy by increasing the expression of leptin.