Low-dose
aspirin, which is widely used to reduce the risk of cardio- and cerebrovascular
thrombosis, often induces gastroenteropathy by increasing the permeability of the mucosa. However, therapeutic strategies for patients with low-dose
aspirin-induced small intestinal injury have not been determined. We evaluated the preventative effect of
egualen sodium hydrate, a gastro-
protective agent that suppresses
indomethacin-induced small-intestinal damage in rats, against small-intestinal mucosal damage induced by low-dose
aspirin in healthy adult male volunteers. Participants were randomly allocated to receive
aspirin 100 mg/kg daily (control group, n = 10) or
aspirin 100 mg/kg plus
egualen sodium 30 mg daily (
egualen sodium group, n = 10). Small intestinal mucosal injury was evaluated by
capsule endoscopy two weeks after initiation of
drug administration. Fecal analyses (occult blood test, immunochemical test,
transferrin measurement and
calprotectin measurement) were carried out before and
after treatment.
Egualen sodium significantly suppressed the total number of small intestinal
injuries detected by
capsule endoscopy and the positive ratio for the fecal occult blood test. Daily use of 30 mg of
egualen sodium showed a preventative effect on low-dose
aspirin-induced small intestinal injury. Since
acid suppression
therapy was reported to exacerbate
NSAIDs-induced enteropathy via
dysbiosis,
egualen sodium may be useful for patients treated with low-dose
aspirin.