The mechanism of the inhibitory action of rebamipide, a new mucosal protective drug, was studied using rats with diethyldithiocarbamate-induced gastric antral ulcers. Rebamipide reduced ulcer formation and inhibited the elevation in lipid peroxide concentration in the gastric mucosa. Rebamipide inhibited both luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence of neutrophils activated by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. Rebamipide did not alter the reduction of cytochrome c induced by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system or the NADPH-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation in the liver. These findings suggest that rebamipide prevents diethyldithiocarbamate-induced gastric ulcer formation by inhibiting neutrophil activation.