Pharmacological application of barium containing bioactive glass in gastro-duodenal ulcers

Peptic ulcer is prevalent in about 4% of the world population and nearly 10% of people have been affected by peptic ulcer at some point in their life. Therefore, there is a need for newer efficient and safe anti-ulcer agents. In the present strategy, we have prepared a novel bioactive glass containing 1.3 mol% of barium oxide (BaBG) and evaluated its antiulcer potential in gastroduodenal ulcer models. Prophylactic effect of BaBG pretreatment was evaluated for 5 days in ethanol, aspirin and pyloric ligation-induced gastric ulcer and cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer models. Repeated treatment of 10 days of BaBG was evaluated in the healing ulcer model of acetic acid. BaBG significantly reduced the ulcerative damage against all the five tested ulcer models. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images have shown that BaBG forms a physical protective barrier over the gastro-duodenal epithelium cell. In the pyloric-ligation, ethanol and aspirin models, BaBG showed significantly increased in gastric pH, indicating antacid like activity. BaBG treatment significantly increased cell proliferation in the pyloric model. Thus, BaBG mediates antiulcer action by forming a protective physical barrier against harsh luminal factors, acid neutralization and cell proliferation.