Abstract
This study examined if wheat germ oil (WGO) has gastroprotective impacts against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Rats were assigned into control, WGO, ethanol, omeprazole + ethanol, and WGO + ethanol. WGO prevented gastric ulceration and damage induced by ethanol, the same effect induced by omeprazole, a widely known medication used for gastric ulcer treatment. WGO reduced gastric ulcer index, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde levels in the stomach. WGO boosted the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Bcl2, and the antioxidants. WGO showed inflammatory and anti-inflammatory impacts through the control of interleukin (IL)-1β, Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and IL-10 that were altered in ethanol-administered rats. Ethanol up-regulated caspase-3 and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) expression and showed histopathological changes such as necrosis and mucosal degeneration that were mitigated by pre-administration of WGO. Moreover, WGO decreased gastric immunoreactivity of NF-kB and increased transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) that were associated with upregulation of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and antioxidant expression and production. In conclusion, WGO reduced ethanol-induced stomach toxicity by regulating genes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic/antiapoptotic pathways.