Objective      To investigative the influence of non-fasting and fasting treatments on water-immersion and restraint stress (WIRS)-induced gastric mucosal injury and on the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-2 in rats.       Methods      The non-fasting group was not fasting

and the fasting group was fasting at 24 h before WIRS. Stress-induced ulcer model was established by WIRS. The gastric mucosa was examined and the ulcer index (UI) was evaluated after 3-hour WIRS. Mucosal injury was observed with histological method. In addition

the protein expressions of MMP-9 and TIMP-2 were measured by Western blotting.       Results      The rat ulcer model was established by 3-hour WIRS. The UI

inflammatory cells and MMP-9 protein expression in the mucosa were higher in the fasting group than in the non-fasting group (P0.01)

while the TIMP-2 protein expression was slightly lower in the fasting group (P0.05).       Conclusion      Non-fasting treatment can alleviate WIRS-induced gastric mucosal injury through significantly down-regulating the expression of MMP-9 in the rats.