Taurine zinc solid dispersions protect against cold-restraint stress-induced gastric ulceration by upregulating HSP70 and exerting an anxiolytic effect

Abstract Pharmacological effects of solid dispersions (SDs) of a taurine zinc complex on gastric ulceration and anxiety were investigated. Pretreatment with taurine zinc (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg) SDs dose-dependently protected rat gastric mucosa against cold-restraint stress (CRS)-induced gastric injury, and significantly attenuated increases in gastric mucosal H + K + -ATPase activity and lipid peroxidation and enhanced SOD activity. Taurine zinc also inhibited CRS-induced elevation of the serum stress hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone and upregulated HSP70 expression in the gastric mucosa. Moreover, taurine zinc (200 mg/kg) SDs more potently protected the gastric mucosa from ulceration than the same dose of taurine, which may be attributed to a synergistic effect between taurine and zinc. Behavioral experiments in mice showed that taurine zinc SDs significantly increased the number of entries and time spent on the open arms in the elevated plus-maze test, time spent in the central area and total distance traveled in the open field test, and time spent and number of entries into the light compartment in the light/dark box test, indicative of reduced anxiety-like behaviors. This study demonstrates taurine zinc protected the gastric mucosa against CRS-induced gastric damage by decreasing oxidative stress, promoting endogenous HSP70 expression and attenuating psychological stress.