Investigation of antiulcer and antioxidant activity of moclobemide in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Even though there are many drugs for the treatment of gastric ulcers, these drugs sometimes cannot succeed. Since the 1950s, antidepressant drugs have been used for several non-psychiatric indications. Many antidepressant drugs have been shown experimentally to produce antiulcer activity in various ulcer models. Moclobemide is an antidepressant drug which inhibits monoamine oxidase-A (MAO) enzyme selectively. When it is compared to the classic antidepressants drugs, moclobemide is the first choice in depression treatment because of its effectiveness and less side effects. This study aimed to investigate the antiulcer effects of moclobemide and to determine its relationship with antioxidant mechanisms in rat gastric tissue.


METHODS
The antiulcer activities of 10, 20, 40, 80, 150 mg/kg moclobemide and 20 mg/kg famotidine have been investigated on indomethacin-induced ulcers in rats, and the results have been compared with that of the control group.


RESULTS
Moclobemide decreased the indomethacin-induced ulcers significantly at all doses used. While used doses of moclobemide increased the glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, it decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in stomach tissue when compared to the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
It is determined that an antidepressant drug, moclobemide is a potent anti-ulcer agent. Inhibition of toxic oxidant radicals and activation of antioxidant mechanisms play a role in its anti-ulcer effect mechanisms.
Department of Pharmacology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Abdulmecit
A
Albayrak
Department of Biochemistry, Yuzuncu Yil University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
Hamit H
HH
Alp
Department of Pharmocology, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
Halis
H
Suleyman
Moclobemide; antioxidants; indomethacin; rat; ulcer