Protective effect of Weishusan on ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal lesions in rats

Objective To study the protective effect of Weishusan on acute gastric mucosal lesions induced by ethanol in rats.Methods Wistar rats was instilled intragastrically 1 ml of either Weishusan(3.0,1.5,0.75 g/kg body wt) or a control solution(normal saline) and 1 h later 1 ml of 100% ethanol.Mucosal morphologic changes were assessed by macroscopic examination,quantitative histology,scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) 1h after ethanol instillation.Gastric mucosal blood flow(GMBF),gastric potential difference(PD),superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities,malondialdehyde(MDA) contents in gastric tissues and nitric oxide (NO) levels in serum were also measured.Results Gastric mucosal lesion index and pathological scores in Weishusan-treatment group were obviously reduced as compared with the control group(P0.05,P0.01).GMBF and PD in Weishusan–treatment group were markedly increased as compared with the control group(P0.01,P0.05);Weishusan increased SOD activities(P0.05)in gastric tissues and NO contents in serum(P0.01).Conclusion Oxygen free radicals and NO may play important roles in ethanol-induced gastric lesions.Weishusan can inhibit gastric lesions and the mechanisms might be related to increase GMBF and antioxidation.