The effect of dealcoholized extract of acorus calamus on morphological changes of the gastric mucosa under the conditions of alcohol-predinisolone ulcer in rats

Abstract

Modern pharmacotherapy of gastric diseases includes a significant number of drugs, among which the vast majority is synthetic drugs from the group of H+-K+- ATPase inhibitors, H2-receptors blockers, bismuth preparations, etc. At the same time many phytomedicines also have a gastroprotective effect, which allows them to be used for complex therapy of gastric diseases, or after classical therapy. One of the phytomedicines that is traditionally used to treat diseases of the stomach is sweet flag (Acorus calamus L.). The aim of the study was to experimentally investigate the effect of dealcoholized extract of Acorus leaves (DEAL) on morphological parameters under conditions of alcohol-prednisolone ulcer in rats. The gastroprotective properties of DEAL were studied in a model of acute gastric ulcer in rats; it was stimulated by intragastric administration of a mixture of prednisolone at a dose of 20 mg/kg and 80% ethanol at a dose of 6 mL/kg. DEAL was administered intragastrically prophylactically once daily at a dose of 1 mL/kg for 3 days before the modeling of the pathology. The reference drug was chosen ranitidine ("Ranitidine-Zdorovya", tab. 0.15 № 20). The reference drug was administered intragastrically at a dose of 20 mg/kg in a similar regimen. It has been found that the introduction of alcohol-prednisolone mixture in rats provoked in the latter the emergence of acute ulcerative-erosive process in the fundal and pyloric area of the gastric mucosa, which was associated with significant hemocapillary disorders and swelling of the stroma. In most cases, the ulcers spread to the entire depth or most of the glandular tubes. In areas outside the destruction zones, a decrease in mucoid secretion by mucosal cells of the superficial-foveolar epithelium and (according to the morphological state of the chief and parietal cells) some stimulation of pepsin production and excretion, increased acid production were observed. Although DEAL did not prevent the development of a pathological process in the gastric mucosa of most rats, but under its influence limited the depth of lesions of the glandular tubes, decreased the severity of hemocapillary disorders, signs of stroma swelling, stabilized mucoid synthesis, improved functional state of the parietal and chief cells. All this confirms that in this experimental model of gastric pathology at this scheme of administration and dose, the extract of sweet flag leaf has a certain gastroprotective effect. The severity of the gastroprotective effect of DEAL is somewhat inferior to that of the comparison drug ranitidine.