Epidermal Growth Factor-containing Polymeric Gel for Gastrointestinal-ulcer Coating and Healing

초록

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is now becoming a standard diagnostic tool for GI ulcer and cancer. We are developing new conceptual ulcer-coating polymeric gel (epidermal growth factor (EGF)-containing chitosan hydrogel) which can be directly applied on the gastric ulcer via GI endoscope after the diagnosis or cancer resection. Aims: We supposed that the directional ulcer-coating by polymeric gel could precipitate the ulcer-healing and examined therapeutic efficacy of polymeric gel on a rabbit gastric-ulcer model. Methods: Acetic acid treated and mucosal-resected ulcer models on rabbits were developed which respectively represent chronic ulcer and cancer-resected ulcer. Polymeric gel was directly introduced on the ulcer-region after treatment. Dimension of ulcer and thickness of mucosa was estimated and compared with un-treated group. Healing efficacy was more closely evaluated based on the microscopic observation of ulcer after hematoxylin and eosin staining and periodic acid schiff staining. Reconstitution of gastric epithelial cell monolayer was assessed using in vitro wound restitution model. Results: In the acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer rabbit model (AAIU), the normalized ulcer size of gel-treated group showed a more than 2.6-fold decrease compare to non-treated group on day 3 after ulceration (P<0.05). In mucosal resection-induced gastric ulcer rabbit model (MRIU), the normalized ulcer size of gel-treated group showed significant difference compare to non-treated group about 5.5-fold on day 1 after ulceration (P<0.001). The in vitro restitution study and in the histological analysis revealed that the ability of EGF-containing polymeric gel for ulcer healing. Conclusions: The present study suggests that the EGF-containing polymeric gel is a promising candidate for treating gastric bleeding and ulcer.