Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 21, 2005; 11(7): 1040-1043
Published online Feb 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i7.1040
Inhibitory effect of fluvastatin on ileal ulcer formation in rats induced by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug
Mari Hagiwara, Keiko Kataoka, Hideki Arimochi, Tomomi Kuwahara, Haruyuki Nakayama, Yoshinari Ohnishi
Mari Hagiwara, Keiko Kataoka, Hideki Arimochi, Tomomi Kuwahara, Haruyuki Nakayama, Yoshinari Ohnishi, Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Keiko Kataoka, Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan. kataoka@basic.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-88-633-7068 Fax: +81-88-633-9431
Received: December 19, 2003
Revised: December 22, 2003
Accepted: January 31, 2004
Published online: February 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause gastrointestinal damage as one of their side effects in humans and experimental animals. Lipid peroxidation plays an important role in NSAID-induced ulceration. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors on the ulceration in small intestines of rats.

METHODS: The effects of three HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, fluvastatin, pravastatin and atorvastatin on ileal ulcer formation in 5-bromo-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(4- methylsulfonylphenyl) thiophene (BFMeT)-treated rats were examined. Antioxidative activity of the inhibitors was measured by a redox-linked colorimetric method.

RESULTS: Fluvastatin, which was reported to have antioxidative activity, repressed the ileal ulcer formation in rats treated with BFMeT an NSAIDs. However, the other HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (pravastatin and atorvastatin) did not repress the ileal ulcer formation. Among these HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, fluvastatin showed a significantly stronger reducing power than the others (pravastatin, atorvastatin).

CONCLUSION: Fluvastatin having the antioxidaitive activity suppresses ulcer formation in rats induced by NSAIDs.

Keywords: Ileal ulcer; Fluvastatin; HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug