Carbon monoxide promotes gastric wound healing in mice via the protein kinase C pathway

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that carbon monoxide (CO) is involved in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes including anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidant responses. However, it remains unclear whether CO promotes gastric ulcer healing. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of CO-saturated saline in the treatment of gastric ulcers and its underlying mechanism. Acute gastric ulcers were induced in C57BL/6 male mice using acetic acid. A CO-saturated solution was prepared by bubbling 50% CO gas into saline. To investigate the effect of CO on gastric mucosal healing, CO solution was orally administrated twice a day beginning on day 3 after the induction of gastric ulcer. Mice were sacrificed on day 7 after ulcer induction. The stomach was removed, and the ulcerated lesions were measured. In vitro wound healing assays were used to determine the mechanism of action of CO in the restoration of murine gastric epithelial cells. The oral administration of CO solu...