Intestinal mucositis is one of the major problems in the patients receiving cancer
treatment. Nimesulide is a drug with antioxidant, antiinflammatory and antiulcer features.
We aimed to investigate the effect of nimesulide on the small intestine mucositis induced
by methotrexate (MTX) in rats. Experimental animals were divided into the control group,
MTX group (MTXG) and nimesulide+MTX administered group (NMTXG) with eight rats per group.
The control and MTXG groups were given distilled water by gavage and the NMTXG was given
nimesulide 100 mg/kg orally. After one hour, the NMTXG and MTXG rat groups were
administered oral MTX 5 mg/kg. This procedure was repeated once a day for 15 days and the
rats were sacrificed. The duodenum and jejunum of each rat was removed for the assessment
of biochemical markers and histopathological evaluation. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and
myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were significantly higher in the duodenal and jejunal tissues
of the animals which received MTX, compared to the control and NMTXG
(P<0.001). Also, the levels of total glutathione (tGSH), glutathione
reductase (GSHRd), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase
(SOD) were significantly lower in the MTXG (P<0.001) compared to other
groups. MTX led to villus and crypt epithelial damage and inflammation containing marked
PMNL and eosinophils in the intestinal tissues histopathologically. Whereas, there was
only mild irregularities in the villus structures of the NMTXG. Nimesulide protected the
small intestines against damage by MTX. Intestinal mucositis caused by MTX may be
preventable by co-administered nimesulide.