This research was performed in order to determine the potential protective effects of ozonized
sunflower oil (OSO) in the injury of rat gastric mucosa induced by absolute
ethanol and as well as to elucidate the role of
reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and some important constituents of
antioxidant defense such as
superoxide dismutase (SOD),
glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and
catalase (CAT) in these effects. OSO was administered to rats intragastrically by a
cannula and it was applied during four days to animals. The doses of OSO administered daily to each group of rats were 4, 12, and 24 mg/kg, respectively, and one hour after the last treatment, absolute
ethanol (1 mL/200 mg
body weight) was administered. Our results showed that
gastric ulcer index was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with OSO as compared with
ethanol-treated controls. However, in rats pretreated with OSO, no significant reduction of
TBARS content in gastric mucosa was found as compared to those rats treated with
ethanol alone. In contrast, SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly increased in gastric mucosa of OSO-pretreated rats with respect to those treated with
ethanol alone. In summary, our results demonstrate that OSO pretreatment exerts protective effects in
ethanol-induced
gastric ulcers in rats. Furthermore, these results provide evidence that these protective effects of OSO are mediated at least partially by stimulation of some important
antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and GSH-Px, which are scavengers of ROS and therefore prevent gastric injury induced by them.