PROTON PUMP (H+/K+ – ATPASE) INHIBITORY POTENTIAL AND ANTISECRETORY ACTIVITY OF THE LEAVES EXTRACTS OF SACCHARUM SPONTANEUM IN ASPRIN-INDUCED GASTRIC LESIONS

PROTON PUMP (H⁺/K⁺ – ATPase) INHIBITORY POTENTIAL AND ANTISECRETORY ACTIVITY OF THE LEAVES EXTRACTS OF Saccharum spontaneum Linn. IN ASPRIN-INDUCED GASTRIC LESIONS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Acid-related disorders are highly prevalent in both developed and developing world, which have a significant impact on patient quality of life and cause heavy burden on health care systems (Cylwik et al., 2005). Gastric acid has been demonstrated to be a major pathogenic factor in peptic ulcer diseases such as gastric and duodenal ulcer as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (Shin et al., 2008). Peptic ulcer embracing both gastric and duodenal ulcers has been a major threat to the world‘s population over the past two centuries, with a high morbidity and substantial mortality (Pahwa et al., 2010).

An estimated 15,000 deaths occur each year as a consequence of peptic ulcer disease (Valle, 2005). Peptic ulcer is a gastro-intestinal disorder due to an imbalance between the aggressive factors like acids, pepsin, non-steroidal anti-inflamatoery drugs (NSAIDs), Helicobacter pylori infection and defensive factors such as bicarbonate secretions, prostaglandins, gastric mucus, and innate resistance of the mucosal cell factors (Dashputre and Naikwade, 20011). Factors related with lifestyle such as smoking, alcohol, spicy foods and stress are also associated with peptic ulcer formation. Peptic ulcer usually develops when aggressive factors overcome the defensive factors (Izzo and Borelli, 2000). Ulceration of the gastrointestinal mucosa is caused by disruption of normal balance of the corrosive effect of gastric juice and the protective effect of mucus on gastric epithelial cells (Waugh et al., 2006).

The gastric proton potassium (H⁺/K⁺)-ATPase is the proton pump responsible for the final step of acid secretion in the stomach, which locates in gastric membrane vesicles and catalyzes the electro-neutral exchange of intracellular H⁺ and extracellular K⁺ coupled with the hydrolysis of cytoplasmic ATP (Shin et al., 2009; Weidemüller and Hauser, 2009).

PROTON PUMP (H⁺/K⁺ – ATPase) INHIBITORY POTENTIAL AND ANTISECRETORY ACTIVITY OF THE LEAVES EXTRACTS OF Saccharum spontaneum Linn. IN ASPRIN-INDUCED GASTRIC LESIONS