It has been reported that oxygen-derived free radicals play an important role in the pathogenesis of mucosal injury in the small intestine as well as in the stomach. The aims of this study were to test whether ethanol-induced damage in the rat stomach was prevented by the administration of (1) superoxide dismutase (SOD; a scavenger of superoxide radicals), (2) allopurionol (ALP; an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase), (3) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals). SOD significantly decreased the ulcer index from 100 +/- 8.5% (control) to 39.6 +/- 8.2% (P less than 0.001). Ethanol-induced damage was reduced by the administration of ALP by 37.4% (P less than 0.01). DMSO also diminished the ulcer index from 100 +/- 8.5% (control) to 31.6 +/- 5.8% (P less than 0.01). Histochemical studies supported these results. A scanning EM study, however, revealed that surface epithelial cells were not protected by SOD against ethanol-induced damage. These results demonstrated that SOD, ALP and DMSO had the ability to protect gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced injury. Accordingly, oxygen-derived free radicals may be involved in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage. Surface epithelial cells, however, were not protected even by SOD against ethanol-induced injury.