Protective effect of silymarin against ethanol-induced gastritis in rats: role of sulfhydryls, nitric oxide and gastric sensory afferents.
Silymarin has been known to exert antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we examined the effect of silymarin on gastritis in rats. Oral administration of silymarin dose-dependently decreased gastric lesions in ethanol-induced gastritis model. Silymarin also significantly suppressed the development of gastric lesions in aspirin- or water immersion-restraint stress-induced gastritis models. Further study demonstrated that the gastroprotective effect of silymarin was blocked by nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor l-NAME, SH blocker N-ethylmaleimide or TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine in ethanol-induced gastritis model. In addition, ex vivo analysis revealed that ethanol-induced decrease in gastric mucus and non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) groups was significantly reversed by silymarin treatment and lipid peroxidation was also suppressed by silymarin in ethanol-induced gastritis model. Taken together, these results suggest that silymarin exerts gastroprotective effects and the gastroprotective effects of silymarin might be related to the protection of gastric mucosal NO and NP-SH and the modulation of capsaicin-sensitive gastric sensory afferents.
Bioevaluation Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Ochang, Cheongwon, Chungbuk 363-883, Republic of Korea.
Jung Hyu
JH
Shin
Chang Woo
CW
Lee
Soo Jin
SJ
Oh
Jieun
J
Yun
Kiho
K
Lee
Song-Kyu
SK
Park
Hwan Mook
HM
Kim
Sang-Bae
SB
Han
Youngsoo
Y
Kim
Hyoung-Chin
HC
Kim
Jong Soon
JS
Kang
D000344:Afferent Pathways; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*
D012838:Silymarin; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000431:Ethanol