Objective: To research the pharmacological action of curcumin solid dispersions (SDs, curcumin and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) k30 in the ratio of 1:8) was investigated on experimental gastric ulcer in rats and mice.
Method: Animals were randomly divided into several experimental groups. Each group consisted of 10 animals. The control group received PVP vehicle (720 mg x kg(-1), po) throughout the course of the experiments. The treatment groups received different doses of curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 10, 30 and 90 mg x kg(-1), po), and ranitidine (27 mg x kg(-1), po) was used as the positive control. In acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers model, serum NO, plasma ET and gastric ulcer indexes of rats were measured after oral administration for 14 d. In rat ulcer model induced by pylorus-ligature, gastric volume pepsin and gastric ulcer indexes of rats were measured after oral administration for 3 d and pylorus-ligature inducement for 16 h. Gastric ulcer indexes of mice were measurement after oral administration for 3 d and subcutaneous injection reserpine 10 mg x kg(-1).
Result: The results showed that curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 30, and 90 mg x kg(-1), po) could reduce the ulcer indexes 4.59 +/- 0.96 and 3.33 +/- 0.93 (P < 0.01), and increase serum NO level (29.75 +/- 5.90) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.05) and (39.63 +/- 12.73) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.01), compared to gastric index 5.87 +/- 0.48 and NO level (23.63 +/- 5.73) mmol x L(-1) in control group. Compared to plasma ET (163.65 +/- 63.84) ng x L(-1) in control group, curcumin SDs (equivalent to 90 mg x kg(-1), po) could decrease plasma ET level (104.22 +/- 63.84) ng x L(-1) (P < 0.05). Compared to gastric ulcer indexes 4.25 +/- 0.71 of control group in rat pylorus-ligature model, curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 90 mg x kg(-1)) could reduce gastric ulcer to 2.38 +/- 0.74 (P < 0.01). Compared to gastric volume (14.61 +/- 1.80) mL, acidity of gastric juice (87.70 +/- 9.84) mmol x L(-1), and the activity of pepsin (408.63 +/- 41.75) U x mL(-1), curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 30, 90 mg x kg(-1)) could reduce gastric volume to (12.68 +/- 1.46) mL (P < 0.05) and (9.99 +/- 0.79) mL (P < 0.01), reduce acidity of gastric juice to (77.62 +/- 8.34) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.05) and (65.77 +/- 8.19) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.01), inhibit the activity of pepsin to (358.13 +/- 37.44) U x mL(-1) (P < 0.05) and (292.13 +/- 41.93) U x mL(-1) (P < 0.01). In reserpine-induce gastric ulcer model, curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 30, 90 mg x kg(-1)) could reduce gastric ulcer indexes to 3.88 +/- 0.40 and 3.03 +/- 0.64 (P < 0.01), compared to that of control group 5.13 +/- 0.59.
Conclusion: Several animal gastric ulcer models prove that curcumin SDs has anti-gastric ulcer effects by inhibiting gastric acid secretion, reducing gastric juice acidity, inhibiting the activity of pepsin and promoting healing of ulcer. These findings show a potential application of curcumin SDs as an anti-ulcerogenic drug.