Accelerated gastric ulcer healing in thyroxine-treated rats: roles of gastric acid, mucus, and inflammatory response

The roles of gastric acid, mucus and inflammation on the pro ulcer-healing effect of thyroid hormone were investigated. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, thyroidectomised, thyroidectomised with thyroxine treatment (100µg/kg/day) and sham operated animals treated with thyroxine. Thirty-five days after thyroidectomy, sham surgery or thyroxine treatment, ulcer was experimentally induced. Healing was assessed 3, 7 and 10 days post ulceration by measurement of ulcer area, gastric mucus and acid secretion, and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an index of inflammation. By day 10, ulcer area had reduced in all groups. Recovery was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in thyroxine treated rats (78.5 ± 1.6% reduction in ulcer area) than in controls (72.3 ± 1.2% reduction), or thyroidectomised rats (63.3 ± 1.9% reduction). Thyroxine treated animals also had the highest reduction in NLR (65.0 ± 2.5%). Mucus secretion was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in thyroidectomised rats by days 3 an...