Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gaso-protective mechanism of 3α-hydroxymasticadienoic acid and diligustilide combination on indomethacin gastric damage

The co-administration of 3α-hydroxymasticadienoic acid (3α-OH MDA) and diligustilide (DLG) generates a synergist gastroprotective effect on indomethacin-induced gastric damage. However, the related protective activities of the compounds alone (or in combination) remain unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities, as well as the potential modulation of important gasotransmitters of each compound individually and in combination using the indomethacin-induced gastric damage model. Male Wistar rats were treated orally with the 3α-OH MDA, DLG, or their combination (at a fixed ratio of 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1) 30 min before the generation of gastric mucosal lesions with indomethacin (30 mg/kg, p.o.). Three hours later, the gastric injury (mm2) was determined. Results from these experiments indicate, in addition to maintaining basal levels of PGE2, the gastroprotective effect of the pre-treatment with 3α-OH MDA (70%), DLG (81%), and their combination (72%) which was accompanied by significant decreases in leukocyte recruitment, as well as decreases in TNF-α and LTB4 gastric levels (p