Evidence against the participation of a pharmacokinetic interaction in the protective effect of single-dose curcumin against gastrointestinal damage induced by indomethacin in rats.

Objective: To determine the role of a pharmacokinetic interaction in the protective effect of curcumin against the gastric damage induced by indomethacin administration as such or as its prodrug acemetacin.

Methods: Wistar rats orally received single dose of indomethacin (30 mg/kg) with and without curcumin (30 mg/kg); gastric injury was evaluated by determining the total damaged area. Additional groups of rats received an oral single dose of indomethacin (30 mg/kg) or its prodrug acemetacin (34.

Pharmacological evidence for the participation of NO-cGMP-KATP pathway in the gastric protective effect of curcumin against indomethacin-induced gastric injury in the rat.

Curcumin, main compound obtained from rizhoma of Curcuma longa, shows antitumoral, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and gastric protective properties. Recently, it has been demonstrated that curcumin exerts its gastric protective action due to an increase in gastric nitric oxide (NO) levels. However, it is unknown whether these increased NO levels are associated with activation of intracellular signaling pathways.