Korean J Gastroenterol. 2025 Jul 25;85(3):366-381. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2025.035.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis by indomethacin causes gastric ulceration by inducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
METHODS: This study investigated the protective effects of an Artemisia annua extract powder (SPB-201) on gastric damage and its underlying mechanisms by analyzing various molecular biological markers in indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration rats and AGS human gastric cancer cells.
RESULTS: The oral administration of SPB-201 augmented the gastroprotective PGE2 and NO contents by increasing COX-1, COX-2, and eNOS expression, resulting in the improvement of gastric damage and ulcerative hyperemia in rats. In addition, elevated levels of mucin and pro-angiogenic factors, including EGF, bFGF, VEGF, and TGF-β1, were observed in the gastric tissue of rats treated with SPB-201. Furthermore, SPB-201 induced the SOD and CAT activities in rats but reduced the protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. In addition, the SPB-201 treatment showed a dose-dependent and statistically significant increase in COX-1, COX-2, and PGE2 production in AGS cells exposed to indomethacin.
CONCLUSIONS: SPB-201 might be an excellent candidate for developing anti-ulcer agents that prevent or treat gastric injury caused by NSAIDs, through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-angiogenic mechanisms.
PMID:40709427 | DOI:10.4166/kjg.2025.035
