The potential effects of Centella asiatica ethanolic extracts as an anti-inflammatory agent through decreasing TNF-α expression in indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model rats.

Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) prescriptions have increased over the past decade to treat inflammatory diseases. Indomethacin is a non-selective NSAID that can cause gastric mucosal damage and often leads to acute gastric ulcers. TNF-α is a proinflammatory cytokine overproduced in gastric ulcers. Centella asiatica is a herb commonly found in Indonesia that have anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to determine the effects of Centella asiatica ethanolic extracts (CAE) on TNF-α expression in indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model. This study had six experimental groups: negative control (C), positive control day-1 (P1), positive control day-8 (P8), treatment group 1 (CAE 100), 2 (CAE 200), and 3 (CAE 400). P1, P8, CAE 100, CAE 200, and CAE 400 groups were given 30 mg/kg BW of Indomethacin orally to induced gastric ulcer. Treatment groups were given CAE 8-hours following indomethacin administration at a dose of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg BW. Gastric mucosal damage was examined with HE staining and TNF-α expression evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Indomethacin has proven caused acute gastric ulcers in the histopathological evaluation and significantly upregulated TNF-α expression (p = 0.003). CAE has proven to have anti- inflammatory effects by downregulating TNF-α expression significantly in all treatment groups with the optimum dose at 100 mg/kg BW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]