Effects of fish oil on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats: inflammatory responses and oxidative stress

Background: The prevalence of peptic ulcers is increasing due to lifestyle changes and harmful diets. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fish oil (FO) on gastric ulcers induced by ethanol in rats. Methods: The pharmacological efficacy of FO with doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg investigated using the gastric ulcer index, the acidity of gastric secretions, pro-inflammatory cytokine assessment, and oxidative stress examination. Results: Ethanol-induced gastric ulcer improves with FO 5 or 10 mg/kg pretreatment (P<0.05). FO did have acid-neutralizing activity. FO also increased the levels of glutathione and catalase and decreased the malondialdehyde levels (P<0.05). Moreover, FO reduced the levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) interleukin-6 (IL-6), through downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) (P<0.05). Pretreatment with FO attenuates ethanol-induced gastric ulceration. Conclusion: The observed effects may be due to the role of FO in regulating gastric secretions, changes in the expression of NF-kappa B, and changes in the levels of oxidative stress factors.