Introduction: Gastric ulcers are the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders. Pomegranate fruits have many beneficial
therapeutic effects. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are a novel approach with promising therapeutic potential
for curing human diseases.
Aim of the work: To evaluate the effect of pomegranate and BMSCs on experimentally induced gastric ulcer in adult male
rats.
Materials and Methods: Sixty adult male rats were divided into four groups. Group I kept as the control group. Group
II (Gastric ulcer), rats received 100% ethanol orally by gastric tube. Group (III) subdivided into 3 subgroups. Subgroup
IIIa included rats with gastric ulcer that treated with pomegranate only. Subgroup IIIb, rats with gastric ulcer treated
with BMSCs alone. Subgroup IIIc; gastric ulcer rats treated with a combination of pomegranate and BMSCs. Group IV
included the untreated gastric ulcer rats. Fundus of stomach specimens were prepared and examined using histological and
immunohistochemical techniques.
Results: Groups II and IV showed various changes as deep erosion, marked damage of most of the cells. The presence of the
inflammatory cells in gastric mucosa were supported by a significant increase of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) expression
and collagen fibers depositions (P |
