Galantamine (GAL) is a drug for treating
Alzheimer's disease which has reasonable and no significant side effects. Studies have shown that GAL possesses
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and
cholinomimetic effects that might be beneficial for
inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of GAL on
acetic acid-induced
colitis in rats. GAL at 0.25, 1.25, 2.5 mg/kg/day was administrated orally (p.o.) to different groups of male Wistar rats 2 h before induction of
ulcer with
acetic acid 3% and continued for 5 consecutive days.
Dicyclomine (
DIC) was similarly used alone (5 mg/kg/day, p.o.) or together with GAL at doses already mentioned to delineate the impact of
muscarinic pathway in probable beneficial effects of GAL on
colitis. Control and reference groups received distilled water (5 mL/kg, p.o.),
prednisolone (4 mg/kg/day, p.o.), or
mesalazine (100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) respectively. At day 6, tissue
injuries were assessed for macroscopic, histopathologic, and biochemical indices of
myeloperoxidase and MPO activity. Results showed that GAL at 3 applied doses, alone or in combination with
DIC diminished
ulcer index, total
colitis index, and MPO activity as important
biomarkers of
colitis.
DIC alone was not effective on most parameters and its concurrent administration with GAL couldn't reverse its antiulcerative effects.
Prednisolone and
mesalazine were both effective in this relation. The current research indicated that GAL had anti-inflammatory and antiulcerative activities independent of its
muscarinic effects. Thus the
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may account for its anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerative properties. Nevertheless, further detailed studies are warranted for exact elucidation of GAL mechanism on
inflammation and
colitis.