Effect of salvia miltiorrhiza on indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats

The effect of Salvia Miltiorrhiza on the gastric mucosal damage induced by indomethacin in rats was studied. Salvia Miltiorrhiza was given intraperitoneally 1 hour before injecting indomethacin(20mg/kg intraperitoneally) at the doses of 0.1,0. 2,0. 6, and 2. 0 ml/kg. Otherwise, Salvia Miltiorrhiza 0. 2ml/kg was also given at 0. 5, 1. 2, 3 hours before injecting indomethacin to study time-effect relationship. The results showed: (1)all doses of Salvia Miltiorrhiza inhibited the development of the gastric mucosal damage induced by indomethacin, but the inhibitory action was non dose -dependent. (2)the inhibitory action of injecting Salvia Miltiorrhiza 1 hour before giving indomethacin was better than others. The action of Salvia Miltiorrhiza might be related to increasing the gastric mucosal blood flow and scavenging cytotoxic free radicals.