Protective effects of clarithromycin in rats with hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced intestinal injury

BackgroundThis study was designed to determine the role of oxidative stress, nitric oxide (NO), and glutathione-related antioxidant enzymes in rat pups with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced bowel injury and to evaluate the potential benefits of prophylactic clarithromycin.MethodsOne-day-old Wistar albino rat pups (N = 21) were randomly divided into 3 groups: group I (control), group II (exposed to H/R), and group III (clarithromycin + H/R). Clarithromycin was administered (40 mg/kg) subcutaneously to group III for 3 days. On the fourth day, all rats except controls were exposed to H/R and were killed at 6 hours after H/R. Histopathologic injury scores (HIS), malonyldialdehyde, glutathione (GSH), glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, and NO levels were measured on intestinal samples.ResultsWhereas there was no difference for malonyldialdehyde levels among groups, HIS and NO levels were higher in group II than groups I and III (P < .05). However, GSH and GSH-Px activities were lower in group II than groups I and III (P < .05). Clarithromycin significantly increased GSH and GSH-Px activities and reduced HIS and NO levels in group III.ConclusionThis study showed that oxidative stress and NO contributed to the pathogenesis of H/R-induced bowel injury and that clarithromycin had a protective effect on bowel injury owing to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.