title: Protective effects of vitamin B6 alone and in combination with L-cysteine and NaHS on ethanol and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to investigate the protective effects of vitamin B6, cofactor for cystathionine-γ lyase and cystathionine-β synthase (producers of H2S), alone and in combination with L-cysteine, H2S precursor, on indomethacin-, and ethanol-induced gastric lesions in male NMRI mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasted male NMRI mice were randomly assigned into 12 groups (7 in each). The gastroprotective activity of vitamin B6 alone and in combination with L-cysteine and sodium hydrosulfate (NaHS) was evaluated against ethanol-, and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions. The animals were received vehicle, vitamin B6, L-cysteine, L-cysteine+vitamin B6, NaHS or NaHS+B6 before the induction of gastric lesions by ethanol (50%, 0.5 ml/25 g of body weight, orally) or indomethacin (40 mg/kg, orally). One and five hours after the administration of ethanol and indomethacin, respectively, the animals were sacrificed using anesthetics. The stomachs were removed, rinsed with normal saline and assessed for gastric wall mucus changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pretreatment with L-cysteine, sodium hydrosulfate, and vitamin B6 significantly decreased the total area of gastric lesions (P<0.01). The mucus production in L-cysteine-, sodium hydrosulfate-, and vitamin B6-treated animals were significantly higher than in control rats P<0.05). The gastroprotective activity of L-cysteine and sodium hydrosulfate in combination with vitamin B6 were higher than when administered alone (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The result of this survey showed that the protective activity of L-cysteine and sodium hydrosulfate enhances in the presence of vitamin B6.
authors.affiliation: Research center for Infectious Diseases of Digestive System, Physiology Research Center, and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mard
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ardeshir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ashabi
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Badavi
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dianat
keywords: Ethanol; Indomethacin; L-cysteine; Mice; NaHS; Vitamin B6