title: Aloe vera attenuated gastric injury on indomethacin-induced gastropathy in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the protective effects of Aloe vera on gastric injury in rats with indomethacin (IMN)-induced gastropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (control, n = 6) was given distilled water (DW) orally. Group 2 (IMN, n = 6) was given oral IMN (150 mg/kg) dissolved in 5% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3 (-)) at time 0 and 4 h. Group 3 (Aloe vera-treated, n = 6) was given oral Aloe vera (150 mg/kg) dissolved in DW and IMN at time 0 and 4 h. Eight hours later, the stomach was removed to determine gastric malondialdehyde (MDA), the number of interleukin (IL)-18 positive stained cells (%) by immunohistochemistry, and for histopathological examination. Then, the serum was collected to determine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-1 by sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the IMN group, serum TNF-α, CINC-1 and gastric MDA were significantly increased when compared to the control group (27.78 ± 1.52 pg/mL vs 85.07 ± 49.11 pg/mL, P = 0.009; 104.55 ± 45.80 pg/mL vs 1054.70 ± 20.38 pg/mL, and 1.74 ± 0.21 nmol/mg vs 9.36 ± 1.07 nmol/mg protein, P = 0.000, respectively). The mean level of TNF-α, CINC-1 and gastric MDA in the Aloe vera-treated group were improved as compared with the IMN group (85.07 ± 49.11 pg/mL vs 35.19 ± 1.61 pg/mL, P = 0.021; 1054.70 ± 20.38 pg/mL vs 813.56 ± 239.04 pg/mL, P = 0.025; and 9.36 ± 1.07 nmol/mg vs 2.67 ± 0.64 nmol/mg protein, P = 0.000, respectively). The number of IL-18 positive stained cells (%) in the gastric epithelial cells of the IMN group was significantly higher than the control group (5.01% ± 3.73% vs 30.67% ± 2.03%, P = 0.000, respectively). In contrast, Aloe vera treatment decreased the number of IL-18 positive stained cells (%) significantly when compared with the IMN group (30.67% ± 2.03% vs 13.21% ± 1.10%, P = 0.000, respectively). Most rats in the IMN group developed moderate to severe gastric inflammation and erosions. The gastric erosions and neutrophil infiltration scores were significantly reduced in the Aloe vera-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aloe vera attenuated IMN-induced gastropathy in rats by the reduction of oxidative stress, inflammation, and improvement of gastric histopathology.
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Duangporn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Werawatganon
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Narisorn
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rakananurak
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sasipim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sallapant
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Piyapan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prueksapanich
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Kanjana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Somanawat
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Naruemon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klaikeaw
authors.affiliation: Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Rungsun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rerknimitr
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1 / Q000097:blood; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007213:Indomethacin; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; C513297:Cxcl1 protein, rat; D020382:Interleukin-18; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007213:Indomethacin
keywords: Aloe vera; Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1; Gastric injury; Gastropathy; Indomethacin; Interleukin-18; Malondialdehyde; Tumor necrosis factor-α