title: Adrenomedullin as a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Adrenomedullin (AM) was originally isolated from human pheochromocytoma as a biologically active peptide with potent vasodilating action but is now known to exert a wide range of physiological effects, including cardiovascular protection, neovascularization, and apoptosis suppression. A variety of tissues, including the gastrointestinal tract, have been shown to constitutively produce AM. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1, and lipopolysaccharides, induce the production and secretion of AM. Conversely, AM induces the downregulation of inflammatory cytokines in cultured cells. Furthermore, AM downregulates inflammatory processes in a variety of different colitis models, including acetic acid-induced colitis and dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. AM exerts antiinflammatory and antibacterial effects and stimulates mucosal regeneration for the maintenance of the colonic epithelial barrier. Here, we describe the first use of AM to treat patients with refractory ulcerative colitis. The results strongly suggest that AM has potential as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of refractory ulcerative colitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Circulatory and Body Fluid Regulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashizuka
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inatsu
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inagaki-Ohara
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D053607:Adrenomedullin