Zinc Sulphate Healing Effects on Cysteamine-Induced Duodenal Ulcer in the Rat

Abstract

Since zinc is an important requirement for the growth and repair of epithelial tissue, the aim of this study was to focus on the healing influence of ZnSO4 on cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer in the rat. Prior to the healing study, a separate study was carried out to determine the rate of spontaneous healing. Animals were sacrificed 7, 14, 21 and 28 days following cysteamine application and zinc concentrations in serum and tissue samples were determined using atomic absorption spectro-photometry. Animals used in the healing study received daily treatment with ZnSO4 at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight given orally starting 24 h after cysteamine application and were sacrificed 7, 14 and 21 days following cysteamine application. The serum and tissue levels of zinc as well as its antiulcerogenic effect were determined. To assess the absorption of ZnSO4 a single dose of the substance (80 mg/kg body weight) was administered intragastrically to ten animals that did not receive cysteamine. The results of our study indicate that duodenal lesions induced with cysteamine spontaneously heal four weeks following its application. Spontaneous healing of the ulcer lesion was associated with positive shifts in zinc metabolism which returned to normal values upon ulcer healing. Daily treatment with ZnSO4 progressively accelerated ulcer healing, and ulcers completely healed within one week of treatment. Shifts in zinc serum and tissue in this group were similar to shifts in the spontaneously healed group. A single intragastric treatment of zinc sulphate did not modify the normal aspect of the duodenal mucosa or serum and tissue concentrations.