The intervention of tert-butylhydroquinone protects ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in type II diabetic rats: the role of Nrf2 pathway

Ipomoea carnea mitigates ethanol-induced ulcers in irradiated rats via Nrf2/HO-1 pathway: an in vivo and in silico study

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of Ipomoea carnea flower methanolic extract (ICME) as a natural gastroprotective therapy against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers, particularly in individuals exposed to ionizing radiation (IR). The study focused on the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, which plays a crucial role in protecting the gastrointestinal mucosa from oxidative stress and inflammation. Male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups, the control group received distilled water orally for one week, while other groups were treated with ethanol to induce stomach ulcers, IR exposure, omeprazole, and different doses of ICME in combination with ethanol and/or IR. The study conducted comprehensive analyses, including LC-HRESI-MS/MS, to characterize the phenolic contents of ICME. Additionally, the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, oxidative stress parameters, gastric pH, and histopathological changes were examined. The results showed that rats treated with IR and/or ethanol exhibited histopathological alterations, increased lipid peroxidation, decreased antioxidant enzyme activity, and reduced expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1. However, pretreatment with ICME significantly improved these parameters. Phytochemical analysis identified 39 compounds in ICME, with flavonoids, hydroxybenzoic acids, and fatty acids as the predominant compounds. Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations suggested that ICME may protect against gastric ulceration by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of ICME as a natural gastroprotective therapy for preventing gastric ulcers. These findings contribute to the development of novel interventions for gastrointestinal disorders using natural plant extracts particularly in individuals with a history of radiation exposure.

Gastric acid-responsive deformable sodium alginate/Bletilla striata polysaccharide in situ gel for the protection and treatment of alcohol-induced peptic ulcers

First-line drugs for peptic ulcer (PU) treatment are typically limited by poor targeting and adverse effects associated with long-term use. Despite recent advancements in novel therapeutic approaches for PU, the development of sustained-release delivery systems tailored to specific pathological characteristics remains challenging. Persistent inflammation, particularly gastric inflammatory microenvironment imbalance, characterizes the PU. In this study, we prepared an in situ gel composed of sodium alginate, deacetylated gellan gum, calcium citrate, and Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) to achieve sustained release of BSP. The BSP in situ gel demonstrated favorable fluidity in vitro and completed self-assembly in vivo in response to the acidic milieu at a pH of 1.5. Furthermore, the shear, extrusion, and deformation properties increased by 26.4 %, 103.7 %, and 46.3 %, respectively, with long-term gastric retention (4 h) and mucosal adaptation. Animal experiments confirmed that the BSP in situ gel could attenuate necrotic injury and inflammatory cell infiltration, maintain mucosal barrier integrity, regulate cytokine imbalance and inflammation-associated hyperapoptosis, thus effectively alleviate the inflammatory microenvironmental imbalance in PU without significant side effects. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the BSP in situ gel is a promising therapeutic strategy for PU and opens avenues for developing self-assembled formulations targeting the pathological features of PUs.

Green synthetic natural carbon dots derived from Fuligo Plantae with inhibitory effect against alcoholic gastric ulcer

Introduction: Fuligo Plantae (FP), the ash that sticks to the bottom of pots or chimneys after weeds burn, has long been used for its hemostatic effects and treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding. Nevertheless, the active ingredient of FP still needs to be further explored. Methods: The microstructure, optical and chemical properties of FP-CDs were characterized. An alcohol-induced gastric ulcer model was utilized to evaluate whether pre-administration of FP-CDs alleviated gastric bleeding symptoms and ameliorated gastric mucosal barrier disruption. In addition, the feces of each group of rats were extracted for 16S rDNA genome sequencing of intestinal flora. Results: FP-CDs with a diameter ranging from 1.4-3.2 nm had abundant chemical groups, which may be beneficial to the exertion of inherent activity. FP-CDs alleviated alcohol-induced gastric ulcer, as demonstrated by activating the extrinsic coagulation pathway, alleviating inflammation, and suppressing oxidative stress levels. More interestingly, FP-CDs can improve the diversity and dysbiosis of intestinal flora in rats with alcohol-induced gastric ulcer. Conclusion: These comes about illustrate the momentous inhibitory effects of FP-CDs on alcoholic gastric ulcer in rats, which give a modern methodology for investigating the effective ingredient of FP, and lay an experimental basis for the application of FP-CDs in the clinical treatment of alcoholic gastric ulcer.

Cornu aspersum mucin attenuates indomethacins-induced gastric ulcers in mice via alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation

In the past three decades, a significant progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcers. The incidence of the disease has decreased, but gastric ulcer is still a medical problem. Currently, the available drugs for gastric ulcer treatment have many side effects; therefore, searching for new and safe therapeutic agents is mandatory. The present study aims to investigate the gastroprotective potential of Cornu aspersum (C. aspersum) mucin against gastric ulcers, and the mechanisms related to oxidative stress and inflammation. C. aspersum mucin was collected from 50 snails. The characteristics of C. aspersum mucin (chemical and microbiological) were evaluated. Mice were pretreated with famotidine and C. aspersum mucin (7.5 and 15 ml/kg b.w.) for 5 days, and then gastric ulcers were induced by indomethacin. Macroscopic examination, biochemical estimations, and Quantitative real-time PCR were carried out. Also, histopathological and immunohistopathological examinations were evaluated. We found that the high dose of the mucin significantly decreased the gastric mucosal malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents as well as interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and nuclear factor kappa β (NF-ҡB) expression, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunostaining. It also increased the gastric mucosal GSH and catalase contents as well as hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expressions with regressions in gastric mucosal lesions. In conclusion, C. aspersum mucin could be a potential therapeutic candidate to protect against gastric ulceration.

Effect of nano silver on gastroprotective activity against ethanol-induced stomach ulcer in rats

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have unique properties and display an important role in bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and anticancer. Stable Ag NPs were prepared by reaction of silver nitrate solution with extract of Melissa and characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, AFM, SEM, XRD, and Zeta potential. The resulted Ag NPs have a size range between 20 and 35 nm. The current study aims to evaluate the gastroprotective effect of Ag NPs against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups. The experimental groups were fed 175 and 350 ppm/p.o of Ag NPs orally. Ag NPs improved the adversative influence of ethanol-induced stomach damage as confirmed by declining ulcer index and raised the percentage of ulcer prevention. Significantly reduced ethanol-induced gastric lesions were evidenced by increased mucus secretion and pH of stomach content, decreased ulcer area, nonappearance of edema, and leucocyte penetration of the subcutaneous layer. In gastric homogenate, Ag NPs displayed a substantial upsurge in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, and significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels., Ag NPs increased the intensity of periodic acid Schiff stained (PAS) and produced over-regulation of HSP-70 and down-regulation of Bax proteins. Ag NPs confirmed gastro-protection which might be attributed to its antioxidant effect, increased mucus secretion, increased SOD, and CAT, reduced MDA level, over-regulation of HSP-70 protein, and down-regulation of Bax protein.