Abstract

AMELIORATING EFFECT OF NARINGENIN ON ACETIC ACID-INDUCED EXPERIMENTAL ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN MALE ALBINO RATS. LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY

Gehad K. Mohammedy*, Amina M. Farag Allah, Hala F. Abd-Ellah and Hala G. Metwally

ABSTRACT

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which can be transmural or confined to the mucosa. Naringenin, a major polyphenol, has been used as a traditional anti-inflammatory agent for centuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential curative effect of naringenin against acetic acid (AA)-induced experimental colitis in rats. Fourty adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (n=10). Group I: (normal control) received saline intrarectally; Group II: Naringenin group (NG) received naringenin (50mg/kg b.w.) orally daily for 10 days; Group III: Acetic acid group (AA) received once intrarectal injection of 1 ml of 4% acetic acid; Group IV: AA+NG group received once AA then NG daily for 10 days after colitis induction. Multiple outcomes including body weight, macroscopic and microscopic changes were investigated. The AA group revealed diarrhoea and bloody stools, decrease in body weight and shortening of colon length, Light microscopic examination of the colon showed crypt distortion, wide area of ulceration with marked depletion of absorptive columnar and goblet cells. Also, severe diffuse inflammatory cell infiltration, edema as well as increased collagen fibers in mucosa and submucosa were observed. Ultrastructural changes are parallel with the light microscopic observation and showed epithelial injury with deformed nuclei, altered cytoplasmic organelles, loose of cell-cell gap junction and disappearance of desmosomes. Whereas, post-treatment with naringenin reduced colon injury compared to the colitic rats. Conclusion: naringenin exhibits considerable potential to promote recovery against experimentally-induced UC in rats.

Keywords: Acetic acid; Electron microscopy; Light microscopy; Naringenin; Rats; Ulcerative colitis.