Pathological quantification of experimental gastric ulcer in mice

AIM: To develop a method of quantifying the pathological changes gastric ulcer in the experimental mice. METHODS: The experimental mice were fed with alcohol to establish the model of gastric ulcer. The area of the ulcer was quantified by weight and picture integration. Then the ratio of ulcer area to total stomach area (ulcer area ratio, UAR) was calculated to assess the degrees of the ulcers on the stomach wall. Furthermore, the methods of weighing, picture integration, marking, and grading were compared. RESULTS: The mark indexes and the UAR by weight and picture integration were significantly different between different grading groups (Grade 4 vs Grade 2 vs Grade 1: 84.0 27.8 vs 19.6 8.1 vs 4.0 1.0, P 0.05). Except in one mouse, the differences of UAR between by weight and picture integration in other five mice were 0.69, 4.89, 7.41, 1.26 and 2.76 respectively, which showed UAR had no marked difference between the two methods. In comparison of model I with model II, there were no obvious differences in the mark indexes, grading indexes and the numbers of petechiae while the UARs between by weight and picture integration were significantly different (6.14 0.08% vs 27.64 0.31%, P<0.05; 6.56 0.07% vs 21.22 0.21%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The degrees of the gastric ulcer can be accessed by weight, picture integration, marking and grading. Weighing is better for measuring the ulcer over the fourth grade while picture integration can be used in all the degrees. The sensitivity and accuracy of picture integration and weighing are higher than those of traditional marking and grading.