en Gastrointestinal Physiology/Pharmacology Gastrointestinal Physiology/Pharmacology Experimental research article Experimental research article <span style="font-size: 12px;"><p align="LEFT"></p></span> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Introduction: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Anandamide (AEA) has shown a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities including the effects against the peptic ulcer, meanwhile, the poor solubility or short half-life may negatively affect the effectiveness of this valuable cannabinoid. Based on the superior properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for controlled drug delivery, we aimed to prepare AEA-CNTs complex and evaluate its therapeutic potential in an experimental model of gastric ulcer. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Methods: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Amino-functionalized multi-walled CNTs-AEA (MWCNTs-AEA) complex was prepared using COOH-MWCNTs and then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Gastric ulcer was induced by water immersion and restrain stress (WRS) for 3.5 and 6 h in rats and the gastric lesion and oxidative stress were evaluated. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Results: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">AEA at higher doses reduced the gastric ulcer area and malondialdehyde content and elevated glutathione level and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities after 3.5-h WRS but it was ineffective after 6-h WRS. MWCNTs-AEA complex showed therapeutic effects after both 3.5- and 6-h WRS. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Conclusion: </b><font face="Arial,Arial"><font face="Arial,Arial">Aminated MWCNTs are suitable carriers for AEA as they provide longer lasting effects for this cannabinoid. The antioxidant mechanism may be involved in the gastroprotective effects of MWCNTs-AEA complex. </font></font></span></font></font></span></font></font></span></font></font></span></span></p> Carbon nanotubes, Anandamide, Gastric ulcer, Rat 38 47 http://ppj.phypha.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-858-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Parichehr Hassanzadeh p-hassanzadeh@razi.tums.ac.ir 3200319475328460019144 3200319475328460019144 Yes Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Elham Arbabi arbabiavalelham@gmail.com 3200319475328460019145 3200319475328460019145 No Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Teheran, Iran Fatemeh Atyabi atyabifa@tums.ac.ir 3200319475328460019146 3200319475328460019146 No Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Rassoul Dinarvand Dinarvand@tums.ac.ir 3200319475328460019147 3200319475328460019147 No Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran