Viagra for Crohn's disease?
The Viagra active ingredient sildenafil could also be used in the treatment of Crohn's disease. At least that's what British scientists, who found evidence in their study, believe that reduced blood flow plays a role in this disease.
The causes of this chronic, intermittent inflammation of the intestinal wall have not yet been clearly clarified. Hereditary, psychological or infectious factors are considered triggers. However, there are also indications that a change in the immune mechanisms of the intestine leads to the onset of the previously incurable disease, which usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40.
As Anthony Segal from University College London and his team have now observed in their study, there does appear to be a connection between the spread of inflammation in the gut and a weak immune response. In an experiment in which they injected harmless forms of Escherichia coli under the skin of their subjects to test the inflammatory response, they found that Crohn's patients with internal injuries - for example as a result of a biopsy - produce far fewer leukocytes and inflammatory mediators than he althy people. They also have much slower blood flow to inflamed areas than he althy people.
The lack of leukocytes at the focus of inflammation makes it easier for bacteria and germs to establish themselves, Segal and his colleagues now suspect about the course of the disease. The body reacts to this with the increased excretion of inflammatory molecules, which in turn prepares the ground for the disease. The researchers don't yet know how this process can be stopped - but they do have an idea of how to get the slow blood flow flowing: with Viagra.
