Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acute mesenteric artery ischemia is recognized as a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, with its incidence increasing with age. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of sesamin in mitigating the histological, immunological, and biochemical damage associated with superior mesenteric artery ischemia and reperfusion (SMA I/R) injury in the ileum. METHODS: Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into four equal groups. Group I (Control group): Received no treatment. Group II (SMA I/R group): Carboxymethylcellulose was mixed with distilled water and administered orally via gavage at a dose of 1 mL/kg/dose for three weeks. At the end of the third week, SMA ischemia was induced for 60 minutes followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion. Group III (Sesamin group): Received sesamin orally at a dose of 30 mg/kg via gavage for three weeks. Group IV (Sesamin + SMA I/R group): Received sesamin followed by SMA I/R. RESULTS: Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were highest in the SMA I/R group, while lower levels were observed in the Sesamin + SMA I/R group (p<0.05). Similarly, total oxidant status (TOS) was significantly reduced in the Sesamin + SMA I/R group compared to the SMA I/R group (p<0.05). Consistent with these findings, Bax expression, a pro-apoptotic marker, was less intense in the Sesamin + SMA I/R group than in the SMA I/R group. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the administration of sesamin prior to SMA I/R effectively reduces oxidative damage and prevents histological alterations, as demonstrated by histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical parameters.