Effect of aspirin versus aspirin and vitamin C on gastric mucosa [fundus] of adult male albino rats. histological and morphometric study

ABSTRACT

Acetyl salicylic acid [Aspirin] is almost the most widely used drug both therapeutically [to reduce pain, inflammation and fever] and prophylactically [to prevent thrombotic events]. Aspirin [ASA] represents an important risk factor for gastric mucosal injury. The roles of active oxygen metabolites and anti-oxidative defenses in aspirin [ASA]-induced gastric damage and their amelioration still needed to be clarified. Vitamin C is an ideal antioxidant to increase tissue protection due to its easy, effective and safe dietary administration in large range of concentration without harmful side effects. To investigate through histological examination by light and electron microscope and morphometric study the effects of aspirin with or without ascorbic acid [Vitamin C] for 2 weeks on fundic mucosa of adult male albino rats. Twenty eight adult male albino rats were used and randomly divided into four equal groups Control group; vitamin C group was given 200 mg/kg body weight; ASA group was given 100 mg/kg body weight of aspirin; the fourth group was given both vitamin C and aspirin. Animals treated daily for 2 weeks then sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Stomach tissues were excised for macroscopic, light and electron microscopic study and morphometric analysis. Oral administration of aspirin induced marked changes in gastric mucosa detected by both light and electron microscope ranging from simple hemorrhagic streaks to marked damage with severe erosions, exfoliation and presence of wide areas of epithelial discontinuity [ulcer formation]. This was accompanied by significant decrease in the count of lining cells except parietal cell count. Ulcer Index [UI], showed high significant increase. The addition of vitamin C significantly attenuated gastric damage and could protect gastric mucosa against the injurious effect of aspirin as evidenced from decreased UI and parietal cell count together with restoration of mucosal appearance. These results concluded that ASA combined with vitamin C in comparison with ASA induced less gastric mucosal damage and this protective effect might be due to the attenuation of oxidative stress and decreased count of parietal cells and consequently decrease of gastric acidity