Lactulose--a potential drug for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
Lactulose is a drug mainly used as a laxative and for the treatment of porto-systemic encephalopathy. Following oral administration, intact lactulose reaches the colon, where it is split by bacteria, leading to a reduction in faecal pH and creating intestinal conditions beneficial to Lactobacillus acidophilus and inhibitory to coliform bacteria, bacteroides, Salmonella and Shigella. It was shown that lactulose therapy clears faecal salmonella and shigella species and reduces the prevalence of urinary-tract infection and respiratory tract infections. Oral administration of lactulose abolishes and prevents systemic endotoxemia of gut origin. Therefore lactulose may be used for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease as bacteria and bacterial endotoxin have an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Clinical Research Laboratory, Beijing Charity Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Centre.
W
W
Liao
X S
XS
Cui
X Y
XY
Jin
C H
CH
Florén
D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D007792:Lactulose / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control
D004731:Endotoxins; D007792:Lactulose