The effect of menthol on acute experimental colitis in rats.
Menthol is an aromatic compound with high antiinflammatory activity. The purpose of the current research is to investigate the effectiveness of menthol on acetic acid induced acute colitis in rats. Animals were injected with menthol (20 and 50 and 80mg/kg, i.p.) 24h prior to induction of colitis for 3 consecutive days. Menthol at medium and higher doses similar to dexamethasone as a reference drug significantly reduced body weight loss, macroscopic damage score, ulcer area, colon weight, colon length and improved hematocrit in rats with colitis. The histopathological examination also confirmed anti-colitic effects of menthol. Menthol also reduced significantly the colonic levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in inflamed colons. Thus, the findings of the current study provide evidence that menthol may be beneficial in patients suffering from acute ulcerative colitis.
Department of Immunology, Shahrekord University of Medical Science, Shahrekord, Iran.
Masoumeh
M
Ghasemi-Pirbaluti
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran. Electronic address: motaghi@pharm.mui.ac.ir.
Ehsan
E
Motaghi
Department of Pharmacology, School of medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Homan
H
Bozorgi
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003092:Colitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006400:Hematocrit; D008297:Male; D008610:Menthol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D016207:Cytokines; D008610:Menthol; D009195:Peroxidase
Acute inflammation; Interleukin 1β; Interleukin 6; Menthol; Tumor necrosis factor α; Ulcerative colitis