2. Academic Validation
  3. Alpha-boswellic acid protects against ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats: involvement of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway

Alpha-boswellic acid protects against ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats: involvement of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway

  • J Pharm Pharmacol. 2016 Apr;68(4):514-22. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12532.
Yikai Zhang 1 2,  Jing Jia 3,  Yi Ding 1,  Yongzheng Ma 4,  Peijin Shang 1,  Tianlong Liu 1,  Guangfei Hui 2,  Lin Wang 5,  Mingming Wang 1,  Zhihui Zhu 1,  Yuwen Li 1,  Aidong Wen 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
  • 2 Department of Pharmacy, Chinese PLA Shenyang General Hospital, Shenyang Military Area Command, Shenyang, China.
  • 3 Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • 4 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
  • 5 Department of Pharmacy, No. 313 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Huludao, China.
PMID: 26992040 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.12532
Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the gastroprotective properties of alpha-boswellic acid (α-BA), a pentacyclic triterpene compound from extracts of Frankincense.

Methods: The gastroprotection of α-BA was assessed with ethanol-induced gastric lesions model, by histopathological assessment and measuring gastric juice acidity (pH), gastric wall mucus (GWM), prostaglandins E2 (PGE-2), membrane lipids peroxidation (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity and amount of nitric oxide (NO). The gastroprotective effects of α-BA through the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) anti-oxidative pathway were presented and measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

Key findings: The results showed that α-BA reduced injuries associated with the administration of ethanol, gastric juice acidity and the formation of MDA and increased CAT activity and SOD activity and the level of NO and PGE-2 in a dose-depended manner. The expression of both Nrf2 and HO-1 was significantly increased in the group treated with 200 mg/kg α-BA, which suggested that activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway might be critical in α-BA's prevention of gastric ulcers.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that α-BA decreases oxidative stress and that the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway might play a role in the gastroprotective action of α-BA in ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats.

Keywords

antioxidants; gastroprotection; stomach ulcer; α-boswellic acid.

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