Time-Dependent Aggravation or Attenuation of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Gastric Injury by Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition1

These data indicate that during endotoxemia, the stomach is rendered more susceptible to damage from luminal irritants such as bile, a frequent occurrence in septic patients with a gastrointestinal ileus. In this setting, iNOS has a pathologic role while the constitutive NOS isoforms play gastroprotective roles.