Abstract

Gastric ulcer disease is one of the major gastrointestinal diseases which occur because of unevenness between hostile and protective factors. Epigallocatechin 3 - gallate (EGCG) the most copious tea polyphenol is credited with anticancer, antidiabetic, and cardioprotective activities. The present examination was planned to assess the EGCG activity against pyloric ligation (PL) actuated gastric ulcer in rats.
Adult male albino rats, weighing 200g-250g were administered orally EGCG in two doses (5 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day) and ranitidine 80 mg/kg/day as a kind of perspective medication for seven consecutive days preceding subjection to PL.
The administration of EGCG in the two doses decreased the gastric injuries, ulcerative index, malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Caspase 3 (Casp-3) levels and increment the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in a dose-dependent way. The immunohistochemical examination for an epidermal growth factor (EGF) demonstrated that EGCG increased EGF and diminished vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
The ulcer defensive effect of EGCG was seen on the treated group and was compared to the ranitidine treated group; these effects might be because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic actions

Key words: Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF); Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG); Gastric ulcer; Pyloric ligation; Ranitidine; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF).