Prodigiosins from a marine sponge-associated actinomycete attenuate HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesion via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms

PLoS One. 2019 Jun 13;14(6):e0216737. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216737. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Gastric ulcer is sores that form in the stomach mucosal layer because of erosion caused by high acid secretion and excessive use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Prodigiosins (PdGs) are red-pigmented secondary metabolites produced by bacteria, including actinomycetes. Butylcycloheptylprodigiosin (1) and undecylprodigiosin (2) were identified and isolated from a crude extract of the actinomycete RA2 isolated from the Red Sea Sponge Spheciospongia mastoidea. Chemical structure of 1 and 2 was determined by NMR and mass spectroscopy. Although their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are known, their effect on gastric lesion is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gastroprotective effects of PdGs against HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesion in rats. Oral pretreatment with PdGs (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg) attenuated severity of HCl/ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury, as evidenced by decreases in gastric lesion index scores, ulceration area, histopathologic abnormality, and neutrophil infiltration. These effects were comparable to those of omeprazole, a standard anti-gastric ulcer agent. HCl/ethanol-induced gastric erosions was associated with tremendous increases in lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators (myeloperoxidase, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cyclooxygenase-2), and with significant decreases in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities. However, PdGs ameliorated gastric inflammation and oxidative stress by downregulating nuclear factor kappa B and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and upregulating heme oxygenase-1 expression. PdGs prevented gastric mucosal apoptosis by downregulating Bax and caspase-3 expression and upregulating Bcl-2 expression, thereby increasing prostaglandin E2 production. Our results suggested that PdGs exerted gastroprotective effects by decreasing the levels of inflammatory mediators, apoptotic markers, and antioxidants.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cytoprotection / drug effects
  • Ethanol / adverse effects*
  • Gastric Mucosa / drug effects
  • Gastric Mucosa / metabolism
  • Gastric Mucosa / pathology*
  • Hydrochloric Acid / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Porifera / chemistry*
  • Prodigiosin / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Ethanol
  • Prodigiosin
  • Hydrochloric Acid

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.