Duodenal ulcer prevalence: experimental evidence for the possible role of dietary lipids.
OBJECTIVE
Mapping the geographical distribution of duodenal ulcer in relation to staple diets, and experiments on animal peptic ulcer models suggested that the lipid fraction in certain foodstuffs had a protective effect which was most marked in the lipid obtained from Horse gram (Dolichos biflorus). Lipid obtained from stored polished rice or rice bran was ulcerogenic. Further animal experiments were designed to investigate the protective and healing effects of Horse gram lipid (HGL) against peptic ulceration.


METHODS
Three effects were investigated in rats: (i) the protective effect of HGL on peptic ulceration produced by using pyloric ligation in combination with South Indian diet or rice bran oil, or by cysteamine, alcohol or aspirin; (ii) the effect of HGL on mast cell degranulation in response to pyloric ligation and rice bran oil; and (iii) the healing effect of HGL on acute gastric ulceration produced by alcohol, on chronic gastric ulceration produced by topical acetic acid or on chronic duodenal ulcer following cysteamine.


RESULTS
Horse gram lipid was shown to be protective and to promote ulcer healing in all the models used. Mast cell degranulation was inhibited.


CONCLUSIONS
The experiments confirm the presence of a lipid in certain staple foods that have protective and healing properties in experimental peptic ulcer animal models. The differences in the prevalence of duodenal ulceration between different regions in some developing countries with a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection might be explained by the presence or absence of protective lipids or ulcerogenic factors in the staple diet.
Department of Surgery, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
A P
AP
Jayaraj
F I
FI
Tovey
M R
MR
Lewin
C G
CG
Clark
D019342:Acetic Acid; D000818:Animals; D015550:Cell Degranulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003543:Cysteamine; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000431:Ethanol; D007887:Fabaceae; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008026:Ligation; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012275:Oryza; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011708:Pylorus; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
D010938:Plant Oils; D000431:Ethanol; D003543:Cysteamine; D019342:Acetic Acid