Effect of marzulene on the restitution of rat gastric mucosa after NaOH-induced injury.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of marzulene (L-glutamine plus azulene) on the repair of NaOH-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.


METHODS
Gastric mucosal injury was induced with intragastric instillation of 3.0 ml of 5% NaOH for 1 minute. From 2 days after the operation, the rats were orally given chow pellets containing 0%, 0.25%, or 0.5% of marzulene for 25 weeks.


RESULTS
Oral administration of marzulene at both dosages significantly increased the mucosal heights of the fundic and antral mucosa at week 25. Marzulene also increased the labeling indices of the fundic and antral epithelial cells, but not the mucosal blood flow.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that marzulene stimulates repair mechanisms of rat gastric mucosa after NaOH injury. This effect of marzulene may be associated with a stimulation of gastric epithelial cell proliferation.
Hirasawa
R
R
Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Japan.
Tatsuta
M
M
Iishi
H
H
Baba
M
M
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D052176:Azulenes; D003508:Cycloheptanes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide
D052176:Azulenes; D003508:Cycloheptanes; D004338:Drug Combinations; C111545:marzulene; D005973:Glutamine; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide