Gastroprotective Effects of Oral Glycosaminoglycans with Sodium Alginate in an Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Injury Model in Rats

The gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal barrier is often exposed to inflammatory and erosive insults, resulting in gastric lesions. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as hyaluronic acid (HA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) have shown potential beneficial effects as GI protectants. This study aimed to evaluate the gastroprotective effects of oral GAGs in rats with indomethacin-induced GI lesions. Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats (8-9 weeks-old, 228 ± 7 g) were included in the study, divided into five study groups, and given, administered orally, either sucralfate (positive control group; PC), NAG (G group), sodium alginate plus HA and CS (AHC group), sodium alginate plus HA, CS, and NAG (AHCG group), or no treatment (negative control group; NC). Animals were administered 12.5 mg/kg indomethacin orally 15 min after receiving the assigned treatment. After 4 h, stomach samples were obtained and used to perform a macroscopic evaluation of gastric lesions and to allow histological assessment of the gastric wall (via H/E staining) and mucous (via PAS staining). The AHCG group showed significant gastroprotective improvements compared to the NC group, and a similar efficacy to the PC group. This combination of sodium alginate with GAGs might, therefore, become a safe and effective alternative to prescription drugs for gastric lesions, such as sucralfate, and have potential usefulness in companion animals.