Research Report
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 28, 2014; 20(48): 18330-18337
Published online Dec 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i48.18330
Aloe vera attenuated gastric injury on indomethacin-induced gastropathy in rats
Duangporn Werawatganon, Narisorn Rakananurak, Sasipim Sallapant, Piyapan Prueksapanich, Kanjana Somanawat, Naruemon Klaikeaw, Rungsun Rerknimitr
Duangporn Werawatganon, Kanjana Somanawat, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Narisorn Rakananurak, Sasipim Sallapant, Piyapan Prueksapanich, Rungsun Rerknimitr, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Naruemon Klaikeaw, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Author contributions: Werawatganon D designed the study, performed the experiments, analyzed the data and edited the manuscript; Rakananurak N, Sallapant S, Prueksapanich P, Rerknimitr R and Somanawat K performed the experiments, collected the data and wrote the manuscript; and Klaikeaw N co-ordinated in the pathological examination.
Supported by 90th Anniversary Fund of Chulalongkorn University (Ratchada phiseksomphot Endowment Fund) and The Grant of Ratchadaphiseksomphot, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Correspondence to: Duangporn Werawatganon, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phyathai Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. dr.duangporn@gmail.com
Telephone: +66-2-2564267 Fax: +66-2-2564267
Received: May 4, 2014
Revised: August 6, 2014
Accepted: September 5, 2014
Published online: December 28, 2014
Abstract

AIM: 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.

CONCLUSION: Aloe vera attenuated IMN-induced gastropathy in rats by the reduction of oxidative stress, inflammation, and improvement of gastric histopathology.

Keywords: Aloe vera, Indomethacin, Gastric injury, Gastropathy, Tumor necrosis factor-α, Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1, Malondialdehyde, Interleukin-18

Core tip: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-induced gastric damage is the major side effect of this kind of medication. Although the underlying pathogenesis of NSAIDs-induced gastric damage is unclear, neutrophils are believed to play an important role in the development of gastric inflammation and injury following NSAIDs administration. Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Mill) possesses several biological activities, including an anti-inflammatory and ulcer healing effects. The authors postulated that Aloe vera, acting through inflammatory inhibition, could reduce the inflammatory cytokine, neutrophil chemoattractant, and oxidative stress thus resulting in attenuation of gastric injury in indomethacin-induced gastropathy in rats.