Alteration of Gastric Microcirculatory Architecture During Healing of Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcer and Helicobacter pylori Infection

Inflammatory stimulation has been shown to bring about various microcirculatory alterations. To clarify the microcirculatory changes, a fundamental understanding of the microcirculatory architecture is important. Our histochemical studies using intraaortic injection of agar containing FITC-dextran clearly showed the existence of a functional precapillary sphincter and revealed the structure of the collecting venules. In addition, the formation of an arteriovenous anastomosis (AVA) in the regenerated gastric mucosa and its inhibition by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were demonstrated during acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer healing. Helicobacter pylori-induced microcirculatory changes, such as angiogenesis and myofibroblast proliferation, were also shown to have a close relation with inflammatory processes.