Abstract
Introduction Gastric ulcer is one of the most common and serious
conditions in the gastrointestinal tract. One of the main causes of gastric
ulcers is using of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which have
limited their use in clinical practice. Several studies have revealed that
metformin and Vitamin C (Vit C) exhibit protective effects against gastric
mucosal damage in different animal models. However, no studies indicate their
combination's effect on gastric ulcer models. Therefore, this study aims to
investigate the protective effects of metformin and Vit C combination on
indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers.
Material and methods In total, thirty rats were divided into six groups,
including the control group, rats received indomethacin (50 mg/kg, i.p.), rats
received indomethacin and pretreated with ranitidine (100 mg/kg), metformin
(100 mg/kg, i.p.), Vit C (100 mg/kg), or metformin combined with Vit C. Four
hours after indomethacin administration, rats were euthanized, and gastric
tissues were removed for macroscopic, histopathologic, and biochemical
examinations.
Results All therapeutics used in this study were found to alleviate
gastric mucosal injury caused by indomethacin, as observed in histopathologic
and macroscopic evaluations. Both Vit C and metformin were observed to
significantly decrease lipid peroxidation and enhance the activity of
anti-oxidative enzymes, SOD, GPx, and catalase. However, a more significant
effectiveness was observed in catalase and GPx activities when Vit C was
co-administered with metformin.
Conclusions In conclusion, the present study revealed that metformin and
Vit C combination therapy could potentially treat gastric ulcers associated with
indomethacin.
Keywords
indomethacin - metformin - gastric ulcer - vitamin C - oxidative stress
