Mineral water Vincentka and its influence on mucosal ulcers.

Gastropathy is one of the most common diseases of the human gastrointestinal tract. Apart from its consequences in the stomach, it is also manifested in other parts of the digestive tract, particularly in the duodenum. The aim of this pilot study was to verify on animal model the empirically observed alleviation of gastropathy symptoms in patients who underwent a drinking treatment of Vincentka natural mineral water during their spa treatment. Sixteen male Wistar rats were included in the study. The animals were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group (E; n=8) and control group (C; n=8). The experimental protocol consisted of three phases: (1) handling phase (7 days); (2) mineral water (E)/tap water (C) administration (7 days); (3) acute gastritis induction (1 day). Twenty-four hours after the induction of acute gastritis, the animals were sacrificed. The collected tissues (stomach and duodenum) and blood were examined by standard histological microscopy, and by immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. Histopathological analysis revealed significantly reduced damage to the gastric mucosa in the experimental group. Significantly different values of blood plasma antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress parameters and blood plasma biochemical parameters were also found. Based on these results, we conclude that the mineral water Vincentka has a positive impact on development and symptoms of acute gastric ulcers.