Antiulcerative effect of dexmedetomidine on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats

A gastroprotective effect occurs when α2 receptors are innervated. the dextro isomer of medetomidine,dexmedetomidine,is a highly selective α2-adrenoreceptor agonist. the aim of this study was to investigate whether dexmedetomidine has an antiulcerative effect and to show whether the antiulcer mechanism of dexmedetomidine is linked with oxidant/antioxidant parameters. the antiulcerative effect of dexmedetomidine was studied in an indomethacin-induced ulcer model,and some oxidant/antioxidant parameters were measured in these gastric tissues. whereas the average ulcerous areas for the groups that received 10,25,50,and 100 μg/kg dexmedetomidine doses were 29 ± 4.2,8 ± 2.1,0 ± 0 and 0 ±0 mm 2,respectively,the ulcerous area was 52.1 ± 4.5 mm 2 in the indomethacin control group and 0.5 ± 0.2 mm 2 in the famotidine group. in conclusion,the α2- adrenoreceptor agonist dexmedetomidine showed a significant antiulcerative effect in rat gastric tissue at all doses. this antiulcerative effect is stronger with increasing dosage; at the 50 and 100 μg/kg doses,no ulcerous areas were observed. in light of these results,we conclude that there is a correlation between antiulcer mechanisms and α2-receptor activation. in rats given dexmedetomidine,all of the investigated antioxidant parameters increased,except for catalase (cat). conversely,aside from myeloperoxidase (mpo),all oxidant parameters decreased. therefore,oxidant/antioxidant parameters play a role in the antiulcer mechanism of dexmedetomidine. copyright © 2011 by institute of pharmacology polish academy of sciences.