Background : Peptic ulcer disease is a prevalent disease. Prior investigators have studied its etiologic factors and ways of better treatment and prevention during the recent decades. The present study was conducted to compare carbenoxolone and cimetidine in the treatment of indometacin-induced gastric ulcer disease in rat.

Materials and methods : 225 N-Mari rats were selected with the mean weight of 225 gr. Following 72 hours of fasting, they have been assigned in 5 equal groups. Groups were received Indometacin with the dosage of 30mg/kg (group I), physiologic serum 10ml/kg (group II), carboxy methyl cellulose 1% 10ml/kg (group III), cimetidine with the dosage of 25mg/kg (group IV), and carbenoxolone with the dosage of 20mg/kg (group V). Having induced peptic ulcer by means of indometacin, rats were given carbenoxolone and cimetidine for another one week. Finally, rats were killed and their stomach was removed for macroscopic and microscopic analysis by means of H&E staining.

Results : Ulcer size was 6.73±1.16 and 3.42±1.72 in the carbenoxolone and cimetidine groups, respectively (p<0.05). Results have revealed that therapeutic effect of carbenoxolone is lesser than cimetidine, indeed, recovery rate of cimetidine and carbenoxolone were 71% and 44%, respectively.

Conclusion : Carbenoxolone is effective in the treatment of gastric ulcer but its efficacy is less than cimetidine.