Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the most well-known types of
inflammatory bowel disease that manifests as recurrent
inflammation of rectum and colon. The goal of this study is to evaluate the protective effects of shark liver oil (SLO) on
acetic acid-induced
ulcerative colitis in rats. Eighty induced UC rats were randomly divided into ten equal groups and received the following treatments for seven days: 1 ml of
normal saline rectally, 1 ml of gel base (
carboxymethyl cellulose) rectally, 10 mg/kg of
Asacol rectally, 10 mg/kg of
mesalazine orally, 5% gel form of SLO rectally, 10% gel form of SLO rectally, 200 mg of SLO orally, and 400 mg of SLO orally. We examined the oxidative stress indices, histopathological features, and
body weight changes, as well as the function of the liver and kidneys at the end of treatment. Administration of 10% rectal and 400 mg oral SLO resulted in a significant
weight gain. Also,
glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly higher in 5% and 10% SLO-treated groups, and elevated
superoxide dismutase activity in rats that received 5% SLO was observed compared to negative control and
Asacol groups. While no significant changes were observed in most of the kidney and liver function markers, higher levels of
aspartate aminotransferase were detected in the group that received 400 mg SLO orally compared to negative control and
Asacol groups. Many histopathological signs of improvement were observed in
mesalazine,
Asacol, and SLO groups. There were no significant changes detected in the mean rank among different groups. Our data indicate that SLO supplementation could improve the amelioration of
acetic acid-induced UC in rats due to its
antioxidant effects.