title: Carrageenan-induced intestinal injury: possible role of oxygen free radicals.
abstract: There is a growing body of evidence that implicates oxygen free radicals in a wide variety of inflammatory conditions in various body systems including the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether or not oxy-radicals play a role in carrageenan-mediated intestinal injury. Allopurinol, superoxide dismutase-polyethylene glycol, and dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively, were administered to the carrageenan rat model for 30 to 32 days. Collectively, all three drugs attenuated the carrageenan-mediated injury as shown by four indices of intestinal damage: ulceration (p = 0.0007); abnormal villous pattern (p = 0.0002); degree of inflammation (p = 0.0001); and extent of inflammation (p = 0.0025). Dimethyl sulfoxide appeared to be the least efficacious of the three drugs. The results suggest that oxygen free radicals play a role in carrageenan-mediated intestinal injury, and that one of the sources of these oxy-radicals may be the intestinal macrophage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Royal University Hospital, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moyana
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lalonde
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002351:Carrageenan / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000502:physiology*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D000493:Allopurinol; D002351:Carrageenan; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010100:Oxygen