RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several lines of evidence from epidemiologic and laboratory studies have shown that the consumption of Artemisia or green tea extracts (MPGT) is inversely associated with the risk of alcohol-induced damage and other chronic diseases. Supported by previous studies showing that the combined extract of Artemisia and green tea, MPGT, exerted significantly either antioxidative or anti-inflammatory actions against Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric diseases, it was hypothesized that MPGT can offer protection against alcoholic gastritis. METHODS: Ethanol was administered to induce gastric damage in Wistar rats, which had been pretreated with various doses of MPGT, to measure the rescuing action of a MPGT pretreatment against ethanol-induced gastric damage. In addition, the molecular mechanisms for the preventive effects were examined. RESULTS: The MPGT pretreatment (100, 300, and 500 mg/kg) alleviated the ethanol-induced gastric damage, which was evidenced by the significant decrease in calcium-dependent phospholipase A2, MAPKs, and NF-κB levels compared to ethanol alone. Furthermore, the MPGT pretreatment preserved 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase, whereas cyclooxygenase-2 was decreased significantly. All of these biochemical changes led to the significant alleviation of alcohol-associated gastric mucosal damage. Ethanol significantly increased the TUNEL positivity in the stomach, but MPGT decreased the apoptotic index significantly, which was associated with significantly lower pathological scores of ethanol-induced mucosal ulcerations. The significant protective changes observed alcoholic gastritis with MPGT were related to the increased expression of cytoprotective genes, such as heat-shock protein (HSP)27, HSP60, and PDGF. CONCLUSIONS: The efficient anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and regenerative actions of MPGT make it a potential nutrient phytoceutical to rescue the stomach from alcoholic gastritis.