The effect of famotidine on gastric lesions induced by the decrease in mucosal defensive resistance was investigated in rats and compared with those of cimetidine, pirenzepine and cetraxate. Famotidine (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, p.o.) inhibited dose-dependently the development of gastric lesions produced by taurocholate-histamine in doses that suppressed histamine-induced acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. The H2-antagonist also prevented gastric mucosal lesions induced by taurocholate-serotonin, iodoacetamide, acidified aspirin and acidified ethanol. Cimetidine, pirenzepine and cetraxate showed the inhibitory effects on almost all types of the gastric lesions, but their inhibitory effects were much less potent than those of famotidine. On the other hand, famotidine inhibited the decreases of gastric mucosal blood flow induced by acidified ethanol and the mucosal contents of glycoprotein induced by water immersion restraint stress. In addition, famotidine increased the transgastric potential difference (PD) and promoted the recovery of decreased transgastric PD induced by acidified ethanol in rats. These results suggest that the preventive effect of famotidine on gastric lesions is attributable not only to suppression of acid secretion but to activation of the gastric mucosal defensive mechanisms.