Verbascoside restores gastrointestinal integrity and attenuates inflammation in a rat model of 5-FU-induced mucositis.

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the protective effects of verbascoside (VER) against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in Wistar albino rats.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study involved 30 female rats that were equally divided into five groups as follows: Control group, 5-FU group (400 mg/kg, IP), VER-only group (0.2 mg/kg, IP), 5-FU (400 mg/kg, IP) + VER (0.2 mg/kg, IP) group, and 5-FU (400 mg/kg, IP) + VER (0.4 mg/kg, IP) group. All animals were euthanized four days after 5-FU administration. Gastrointestinal tissues (esophagus, stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon) and blood sera were collected for histopathological and biochemical analyses. Tissue and sera analyses showed that 5-FU caused significant alterations marked by increases in matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, -2, -8), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels and decreases in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), albumin, and total protein levels. VER treatment effectively attenuated these 5-FU-induced changes, with trends toward improved histological outcomes at higher doses.

CONCLUSION

The findings strongly suggest that VER offers significant protection, and these results warrant further investigation into its potential clinical application as an adjunct therapy to mitigate gastrointestinal and other toxicities associated with 5-FU chemotherapy.