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Prostaglandins are chemicals produced by the body that are potent mediators of many physiological processes. They are presumed to have many cell-protecting properties. In the development and complications of ulcers in the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), decreased levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) reduce the ability of the stomach to move, interfere with the passage of nutrients through the walls of the intestine, and worsen obstructions of the intestine that have formed. These are just some of the mechanisms that may result from decreased PGE2 levels and may cause pyloric stenosis (obstruction of the passage through which food moves from the stomach to the small intestine). To test this hypothesis, 17 patients with ulcers of the duodenum complicated by pyloric stenosis were examined and biopsies of tissue from various areas of the stomach and duodenum were obtained. Decreased PGE2 levels were found during the active phase of pyloric stenosis. There was a correlation between the severity of the condition, the severity of the biopsy reports and the PGE2 levels. During a second examination a further decrease in PGE2 levels indicated the presence of scar tissues representing irreversible obstructive pyloric stenosis.