Investigating the modulatory effect of Genistein against Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy (PHG) in a rat model: Histological study.

Introduction: elevated blood pressure in the portal vein; is defined as Portal hypertension (PH) can lead to several consequences, including the development of gastroesophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, bacterial peritonitis, and portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG). PHG can affect any age with hemodynamic changes in gastric mucosa. Genistein is a phytoestrogenic isoflavone, that is present in based products. It has been established that the antioxidant properties of isoflavones diminish inflammatory responses. Aim: The study objective is to examine the efficacy of genistein in modulating experimentally induced portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) in rats.Materials& methods: 24 adult male Albinos rats were distributed into 3 groups (N=8). Group I: sham operation (SO), group II: partial portal vein ligation (PPVL), and group III: Gen + PPVL. After achieving anesthesia, a surgical maneuver was made in groups II& III to ligate the portal vein partially to experimentally induce PH. A period of seven days was allocated for the beginning of PHG. Gen was administered to group III by oral gavage for 7 days. The gastric mucosa from the fundus of the stomach was prepared for histological examination using H&E, PAS, and PCNA immunostaining and for examination with a transmission electron microscope (TEM).Results: PPVL produced erosions, congestion, reduced gastric mucus, and reduced PCNA-positive cells. The TEM results revealed some intracellular changes; hyperchromatic nuclei and merging of the mucous granules. In the PPVL + Gen group, the structure of the mucosa was nearly comparable to that of the control by both light and TEM. Conclusion: Gen can improve the gastric mucosa after PHG-induced damage.