The protective effect of deglycyrrhinized liquorice against aspirin and aspirin plus bile acid-induced gastric mucosal damage, and its influence on aspirin absorption in rats

Abstract

Little has been published concerning the mechanism of action of deglycyrrhinized liquorice, although in rats it has been shown to reduce acute aspirin-induced gastric mucosal damage when given with aspirin (Rees et a1 1979; Bennett et a1 1980) and injury due to pyloric ligation (Anderson et al 1971, Aarsen 1973.A preparation (Caved S), combining deglycyrrhinized liquorice with antacids is of proven value in the healing of gastric ulceration and of equivalent efficacy in this respect to cimetidine and carbenoxalone (Morgan et a1 1978(Morgan et a1 , 1982.In this study we have determined the effect of pre-treatment of the gastric mucosa with deglycyrrhinized liquorice on aspirin-induced damage, the effect of deglycytrhinized liquorice on the bile acid potentiation of aspirin-induced injury and the effect of deglycyrrhinized liquorice on aspirin absorption in rats. Preliminary experiments determined that the dose of aspirin which produced haemorrhagic lesions in approximately 90% of the animals was 128 mg kg*. The dose of deglyrrhinized liquorice used was 2000 mg k g l , similar to that used by Rees et a1 (1979). Test solutions or suspensions were administered by intubation of the stomach through the mouth, using a syringe and olive-tipped needle. The design of study is shown in Table 1 and the volumes administered at time 0 and 30 min were 3.3 and 13.3 ml k g l respectively. Deglycyrrhinized liquorice suspended in water was given at time 0 in group 2 and contained in the aspirin suspension at 30 min in group 4. Aspirin consisted of acetylsalicylic acid (53.3 mmol litre-1, Evans Medical Co, Liverpool U.K.), dextrose (28 mmol litre-1) and sodium chloride (16.5 mmol litre-') in 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose. Materials and methodsFour hours after the final intubation, the rats were killed with ether, the stomachs removed, opened along the greater curvature and the mucosae washed under a constant stream of water. The observer, unaware of the rats grouping, examined the mucosa for haemorrhagic lesions and a scoring system was used to determine the amount of damage; lesions measuring 4, 1-2,2-3, or > 3 mm across scored 1, 2, 3 and 4 points respectively.The median lesion score with quartiles was calculated for each group and groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test (2 tail). Deglycyrrhinized liquorice and aspirin plus bile acidinduced damage. The dose of aspirin was 64 mg k g l such as to cause haemorrhagic lesions in about 50% of the animals. The concentration of bile acid, taurodeoxycholic acid used was 5 mmol litre-' which is comparable with that found in post-prandial gastric aspirates of gastric ulcer patients (Rhodes et a1 1969) and, alone, does not cause significant damage in rats (Semple & Russell 1975). Aspirin was administered alone to group 5, and with taurodeoxycholic acid, deglycyrrhinized liquorice or both, to groups 6, 7 and 8 respectively ( Table 2). The volume of suspension administered was 13.3 ml k g l . Deglycyrrhinized liquorice and aspirin absorption. Two groups of rats (n = 7) were used, r...

The plant kingdom as a source of anti-ulcer remedies

“…DGL protected against gastric ulceration in rats induced by pyloric ligation and increased healing of peptic ulcer in patients (Rees et al, 1979). Moreover, DGL reduced bile acid-induced hydrogen ion back-diffusion across the canine gastric mucosa and diminished acute gastric mucosal damage due to aspirin or aspirin plus taurodeoxycholic acid (Morgan et al, 1983).…”

Study of Mimusops elengi bark in experimental gastric ulcers

“…Phytochemical review reveals the presence of taraxerol, taraxerone, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, ␣-spinosterol, ␤-sitosterol glycoside, quercitol (Misra and Mitra, 1967), lupeol (Misra and Mitra, 1968), alkaloid isoretronecyl tiglate (Hart et al, 1968) and mixture of triterpenoid saponins (Varsheny and Badhwar, 1972) in the bark of Mimusops elengi. Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Morgan et al, 1983), Musa paradisica L (Best et al, 1984), Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Yamahara et al, 1998), Azardirachta indica A. Juss.…”