The effect of sofalcone on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in a Helicobacter pylori-infected gnotobiotic murine model.
BACKGROUND
Sofalcone has been reported to exert anti-ulcer and gastroprotective actions, but its exact mechanism of action remains unknown. In our laboratory, we found that indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers become worse when associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.


METHODS
We employed the H. pylori-infected gnotobiotic murine model to examine the effect of sofalcone on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in the presence of H. pylori infection. In vitro experiments were also done to evaluate the effects of sofalcone on H. pylori growth, adherence of H. pylori to the MKN45 cells (a human gastric epithelial cell line), and these cells' IL-8 production in the presence of H. pylori.


RESULTS
We found that sofalcone produced a significant improvement in ulcer size as well as a substantial reduction in the number of H. pylori colonies in H. pylori-infected gnotobiotic mice. In vitro sofalcone has a significant bacteriocidal effect against H. pylori and can also significantly prevent adherence of this bacterium to MKN45 cells, thus remarkably reducing IL-8 production of these cells in response to stimulation by H. pylori.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that sofalcone can improve ulcer healing by the mechanisms mentioned above.
Kabir
A M
AM
Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
Shimizu
K
K
Aiba
Y
Y
Igarashi
M
M
Takagi
A
A
Koga
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002599:Chalcone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D047188:Chalcones; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D047188:Chalcones; D016209:Interleukin-8; C035032:sofalcone; D002599:Chalcone; D007213:Indomethacin