This study was designed to determine the gastroprotective properties of naringin on and the involvement of endogenous prostaglandins in mucosal injury produced by absolute ethanol. Oral pretreatment with the highest dose of naringin (400 mg/kg), 60 min before absolute ethanol was the most effective antiulcer treatment. Subcutaneous administration of indomethacin (10 mg/kg) to the animals treated with naringin (400 mg/kg) partially inhibited gastric protection, but the prostaglandin E2 determination did not show any increase in prostanoid levels. The contents of gastric mucus and total proteins were not significantly modified. Naringin-treated rats showed a marked increase in hexosamine levels, but this increase was less in animals pretreated with indomethacin. These results show that naringin has a 'cytoprotective' effect against ethanol injury in the rat, but this property appears to be mediated by non-prostaglandin-dependent mechanisms.