Pathological and histomorphometric study of comparative gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin, aspirin, and ethanol in rats

Abstract

This study aimed comparison the gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin, aspirin, and ethanol on the level of pathological changes, ulcers surface area, and index. Forty rats were divided into 4 groups: the control group received normal saline, the remaining were the gastric ulcer groups, the Indomethacin group 40 mg/kg, the Aspirin group100 mg/kg, and the 80% ethanol group 5 ml/kg, all doses were orally administrated one time. The result revealed the ethanol group had the largest ulcer surface area, whereas the indomethacin group had a significantly lowest ulcer index after 3 hrs., and no significant differences among the groups after 24 hrs. Gastric ulcers were in the ethanol group after 3 hours, while the gastric ulcers were approximate in treated groups after 24 hrs. Histopathological changes revealed erosions or gastric ulcers with necrosis, hemorrhage, and inflammation, as well as complete ulcer exfoliation of mucosa reaching the muscularis in the indomethacin and ethanol groups after 24 hrs. The PAS/AB stain showed intense, slight, and moderate mucus reactivity in the indomethacin, aspirin, and ethanol groups, respectively, after 3 hrs., while decreased mucus reactivity in all treated groups after 24 hrs. The COX-2 expression increased in the indomethacin and aspirin groups except in the ethanol groups. We conclude that gastric ulcer surface area was severer in the ethanol group after 3 hrs., whereas severe gastric ulcers and a decline in mucus production after 24 hrs. The indomethacin group had a modest rise in COX2 expression, which was stronger in the aspirin and weak in the ethanol groups.