Abstract
Objectives : Banhasasim-tang has been clinically used to treat upper gastric intestinal discomfort. The object of this study is to examine the defense effect of Banhasasim-tang for acute duodenal injury of the mouse. Methods and Materials : Twenty-one rats were divided into 3 groups and treated as follows: the control group was untreated mice. The ADE group was acute duodenal-damage-elicited mice. The BST group was Banhasasim-tang treated mice before acute duodenal damage elicitation. The groups were examined with common morphology, paneth cells in intestinal crypt, absorptive cells and goblet cells in epithelium, cell division in mucose, COX-l as mucosal protector, COX-2 (which appears to play an important role in inflammation), IL-2R-inducing cellular immuno-chainreaction, and the distribution of apoptotic cells. Results : 1. Common morphology: the ADE group was observed with duodenal injury - loss of villi, infiltration of cells concerned to inflammation (lymphocytes, granular leukocytes) to submucosal layer - by hemorrhagic erosions, while the BST group was seen the same as normal in proportion to increasing treatment time before injury. 2. Histochemical change: the ADE group was observed with noticeable decreased distribution of absorptive cells with microvilli, acid mucin secreted goblet cell, neutral mucin secreted goblet cell, paneth cells compared to the normal group. The BST group was seen to have distribution of epithelium cells resembling normal in proportion to increasing treatment time before injury. 3. Imnunohistochemical change: the ADE group showed a change of factors leading to duodenal injury as reduce of cytokinesis, COX-1, increase of COX-2, IL-2R-. In contrast, the BST group tended to reduction of cytokinesis, COX-1, increase of COX-2, IL-2R- in proportion to increasing taking time before injury. 4. Apoptosis change: the ADE group showed increasing apoptosis cells, in contrast to the BST group which was the same as normal in proportion to increasing treatment time before injury. Conclusions : According to the above results, by increasing the defense system of mucosal epithelium, Banhasasim-tang is thought to effectively protect tissue against ulcers resulting from acute duodenal injury.