Carbon Nanoparticles in Mongolian Medicine Alleviate Acute Gastric Ulcer Induced by Ethanol by Regulating Fas/FasL Pathway

Introduction: The consumption of large amounts of ethanol can directly lead to acute gastric mucosal bleeding, edema, and erosion, while long-term drinking has been associated with gastric ulcers. Previous research has demonstrated that Har Gabur, a traditional Mongolian medicine, alleviates gastric ulcers through the physical adsorption of its carbon components. It is well known that the immune response has an important role in gastric ulceration. Methods: In the present study, we used an ethanol-induced injury cell and mice model to investigate whether Har Gabur can inhibit the immune response stimulated by ethanol and identify the active constituents of Har Gabur involved in this process. Results: We found that Har Gabur significantly repressed the activated Fas/FasL signal pathway and endogenous Bax/Bcl-2 apoptosis pathway. The molecular mechanism of the protective effect most likely involved the transcription or mRNA stability, as Har Gabur remarkably reversed the change in mRNA level of apoptosis-related genes induced by ethanol. Conclusion: Har Gabur operated in a cell-state-specific manner in vivo without inducing adverse effects in normal mice. Importantly, GO was identified as the main active ingredient of Har Gabur for gastric ulcers.