ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF POMEGRANATE ON ACETIC ACID-INDUCED ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN RATS

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of pomegranate extract on some blood and antioxidant parameters in addition to interleukin-1 (IL-1) and inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) gene expression of colon tissue in acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats. Forty rats were divided into four equal groups. Group I (c) group (control normal group) received no drugs. Group II (AA) group (Acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis group) rats were administrated with 2 ml of acetic acid (AA) 4% intracolonic as a single dose. Group III (PGFE) group (Pomegranate group) rats were administrated with pomegranate orally (500 mg/kg, b.wt/day for 14 days. Group VI (PGFE+AA) group (PGFE protected plus AA 4% induced ulcerative colitis group) rats were administrated with PGFE orally (500 mg/kg, b.wt/day for 14 days and at the 11th day was administrated intracolonic as a single dose with 2 ml of AA 4%. The obtained results showed that a significant decrease in neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio (N/LR) and increase in lymphocytes to monocytes ratio (L/MR) in (PGFE+AA) group when compared with (AA) group. Meanwhile, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were significantly decreased with significant down-regulation in IL-1s and iNOS gene expression levels were obtained in colon tissue of (PGFE+AA) group when compared with (AA) group. The results revealed that pomegranate has protective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in experimental model of ulcerative colitis in induced rats.