Group 2: This group of rats was fed with the normal rat chow and 50 mg/kg of the extract for the two weeks of the research. Feeding stops 48 hours prior to the end of the second week. 50 mg/kg body weight of a 100% solution of adrenaline was injected intraperitonially into the rats 30 minutes before ulcer induction. Ulcer induction was by administration of indomethacin using oral route. Group 3: The rats in this group were fed as in group 2 except that Dopamine (50 mg/kg body weight of a 100% solution) was injected into the rats in place of epinephrine. Group 4: The same as in groups 2 and 3 except that there was no administration of catecholamine into the rats before ulcer induction. 3.6.1
ASSESSMENT FOR HEALING EFFECT OF MUSA PARADISIACA
Twenty Wistar albino rats were used for the experiment. The animals were fasted for 48 hours but were given water ad libitum prior to the experiment and then, the animals were given 50mg/kg of indomethacin orally. The animals were divided into 5 groups with 4 rats in each group. Group I – which is the negative or ulcerated control were sacrificed after one hour with an overdose of thiopental. The stomachs were removed and the gastric lesions produced were measured. Group II – received 1.0ml/kg normal saline (0.9% NaHCOȝ) orally for 14 days as the vehicle or ulcerated untreated control. Group III – treated with 200mg/kg cimetidine orally for 14 days as the positive control. Group IV– treated with the plant extract at a dose of 100mg/kg orally for 14 days. Group V – treated with the plant extract at a dose of 200mg/kg orally for 14 days. 3.7
SAMPLE COLLECTION AND ASSESSMENT
After the fourteenth day, the animals were sacrificed with overdose of thiopental anesthesia. The stomach were removed, cut open along the greater curvature and the extent of cytoprotection and gastric ulcer healing were assessed (after fixing in 10% formalin) (Alphine and Word, 1969). The gastric lesions were measured in millimeter and scored as described by Kulkarni, 1996. The ulcer index for each rat was taken as the mean ulcer score. The surface area of each lesion was also determined as well as the percentage ulcerated surface.
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