OBJECTIVETo research the pharmacological action of curcumin solid dispersions (SDs, curcumin and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) k30 in the ratio of 1:8) was investigated on experimental gastric ulcer in rats and mice.

METHODAnimals were randomly divided into several experimental groups. Each group consisted of 10 animals. The control group received PVP vehicle (720 mg x kg(-1), po) throughout the course of the experiments. The treatment groups received different doses of curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 10, 30 and 90 mg x kg(-1), po), and ranitidine (27 mg x kg(-1), po) was used as the positive control. In acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers model, serum NO, plasma ET and gastric ulcer indexes of rats were measured after oral administration for 14 d. In rat ulcer model induced by pylorus-ligature, gastric volume pepsin and gastric ulcer indexes of rats were measured after oral administration for 3 d and pylorus-ligature inducement for 16 h. Gastric ulcer indexes of mice were measurement after oral administration for 3 d and subcutaneous injection reserpine 10 mg x kg(-1).

RESULTThe results showed that curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 30, and 90 mg x kg(-1), po) could reduce the ulcer indexes 4.59 +/- 0.96 and 3.33 +/- 0.93 (P < 0.01), and increase serum NO level (29.75 +/- 5.90) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.05) and (39.63 +/- 12.73) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.01), compared to gastric index 5.87 +/- 0.48 and NO level (23.63 +/- 5.73) mmol x L(-1) in control group. Compared to plasma ET (163.65 +/- 63.84) ng x L(-1) in control group, curcumin SDs (equivalent to 90 mg x kg(-1), po) could decrease plasma ET level (104.22 +/- 63.84) ng x L(-1) (P < 0.05). Compared to gastric ulcer indexes 4.25 +/- 0.71 of control group in rat pylorus-ligature model, curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 90 mg x kg(-1)) could reduce gastric ulcer to 2.38 +/- 0.74 (P < 0.01). Compared to gastric volume (14.61 +/- 1.80) mL, acidity of gastric juice (87.70 +/- 9.84) mmol x L(-1), and the activity of pepsin (408.63 +/- 41.75) U x mL(-1), curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 30, 90 mg x kg(-1)) could reduce gastric volume to (12.68 +/- 1.46) mL (P < 0.05) and (9.99 +/- 0.79) mL (P < 0.01), reduce acidity of gastric juice to (77.62 +/- 8.34) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.05) and (65.77 +/- 8.19) mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.01), inhibit the activity of pepsin to (358.13 +/- 37.44) U x mL(-1) (P < 0.05) and (292.13 +/- 41.93) U x mL(-1) (P < 0.01). In reserpine-induce gastric ulcer model, curcumin SDs (equivalent to curcumin 30, 90 mg x kg(-1)) could reduce gastric ulcer indexes to 3.88 +/- 0.40 and 3.03 +/- 0.64 (P < 0.01), compared to that of control group 5.13 +/- 0.59.

CONCLUSIONSeveral animal gastric ulcer models prove that curcumin SDs has anti-gastric ulcer effects by inhibiting gastric acid secretion, reducing gastric juice acidity, inhibiting the activity of pepsin and promoting healing of ulcer. These findings show a potential application of curcumin SDs as an anti-ulcerogenic drug.