Deciphering the anti-inflammatory pathways: Juniperus macrocarpa's role in IL-6 and TNF modulation in gastric ulcer healing on rats model

Year 2025, Volume: 29 Issue: 5, 1904 - 1917, 01.09.2025

Sura Ahmed Al Jabbara Mohammed Qasim Yahya Malallah A. Al-atrakji

https://izlik.org/JA77YU39AX

Abstract

Juniperus macrocarpa is a native North American juniper species that have a wide range of biological
actions such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic effect.
Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the gastropreventive and curable effect of J. macrocarpa extract against
indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in forty-eight healthy male albino rats, aged 6-12 months and weighing 160-250 g
that divided into groups; control group and rats subjected to peptic ulcer induction using indomethacin in a prospective,
controlled, comparable experimental animal study. Induced groups were treated with omeprazole as a reference drug,
pretreated with J. macrocarpa extract, or treated post-induction with varying doses of the extract over 14 days with
assessment of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels and histopathological features of gastric mucosa
which revealed that the group treated with Indomethacin alone exhibited the highest mean levels of both TNF and IL-6,
indicating a pronounced inflammatory response. Conversely, groups receiving J. macrocarpa treatments showed
moderated inflammatory markers, underscoring the plant's potential anti-inflammatory effects. The strong positive
correlation between TNF and IL-6 further confirms the interconnectedness of these inflammatory biomarkers and these
results supported by the histological findings which revealed a significant improvement in the gastric tissue in rats
received the extract either as a treatment or as protective remedy which conclusively demonstrates the significant
therapeutic potential of J. macrocarpa in treating gastric ulcers by reducing inflammation with a histopathological
improvement which indicate that J. macrocarpa can be considered as a promising natural adjunct in gastric ulcer
management.

Keywords

Juniperus macrocarpa , peptic ulcer , anti-inflammatory , tumor necrosis factor (TNF) , interleukin-6 (IL-6)

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