Therapeutic effect of rebamipide in a modified acetic acid-induced buccal mucosal ulcer model

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that rebamipide, a gastroprotective drug, might be effective for the treatment of aphthous oral ulcers in Behcet's disease patients. The aim of this study was to confirm the effect of rebamipide on experimentally induced stomatitis in a rat acetic acidinduced oral ulcer model. Buccal mucosal lesions were induced by local injection of 50 μl of 99.7% acetic acid into the buccal mucosa, which produced a single large ulcer in each of the treated rats. The ulcer remained up to 14 days. Repeated dose of rebamipide (3-100 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased the ulcer area. Histopathologically, increased fibrosis and regenerated epithelium were observed in the rebamipide-treated group. In contrast, indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, impaired the healing of ulcers. We have successfully established an improved method for the administration of acetic acid to induce oral ulcers, and rebamipide accelerated the ulcer healing.