Gastroprotective effect of nifuroxazide against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in rats via modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB p65, and apoptotic caspase-3 signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND

Gastric ulcer (GU) is a common gastrointestinal disease linked to the consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), with traditional therapies often causing several adverse effects and drug interactions.

AIM: The primary aim of this study was to assess the protective effects of nifuroxazide at three different doses against indomethacin-induced GU.

METHODS

Rats were pretreated orally once daily for 14 days with either nifuroxazide (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg) or famotidine (25 mg/kg), the standard reference drug. After 24 h of fasting, a single oral dose of 50 mg/kg indomethacin was used to induce GU. Six hours later, rats were anesthetized using ketamine.

RESULTS

Nifuroxazide dose-dependently mitigated the rise in ulcer index, retained gastric mucin content, and alleviated histopathological changes. These gastroprotective effects were due to the attenuation of oxidative stress, evidenced by reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Furthermore, nifuroxazide lessened gastric mucosal inflammation by lowering gastric high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) levels, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) expressions, as well as serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). In addition, nifuroxazide mitigated apoptosis by inhibiting immunohistochemical expression of caspase-3.

CONCLUSIONS

Nifuroxazide has the potential to be repurposed as a novel gastroprotective therapy that restores gastric mucosal barrier integrity via the mitigation of gastric oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.