1.   These findings suggest that the loss or decrease of gap junctions in gastric surface epithelium may be associated with gastric ulcer formation via changes in intercellular communication capacity.

2.   The extent and intensity of class II major histocompatibility complex staining of epithelial cells was assessed in both surface epithelium and crypt epithelium.

3.   Scanning electron microscopy showed that intragastric ethanol caused a vast ablation of the surface epithelium, thus exposing the basal lamina.

4.   Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that ethanol caused a vast ablation of the surface epithelium, an effect that was particularly pronounced in capsaicin pretreated rats.

5.   The severity of damage ranged from small islets in which the surface remained completely denuded to areas in which the continuity of the surface epithelium was nearly complete.

6.   Gastric metaplasia is considered to be an acquired change of the surface epithelium.

7.   In other cases the surface epithelium was more affected.

8.   No cells synthesising DNA are present in the upper one third and surface epithelium of normal colonic crypts.