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
  • 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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