ISSN:
1365-2036
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Increased mucosal eicosanoid synthesis occurs in active ulcerative colitis; suppression of the synthesis of pro-inflammatory leucotrienes could be therapeutically useful. Neutrophil 5-lipoxygenase is calcium-dependent. In this study, the effect of the calcium channel antagonist, verapamil, on the release of eicosanoids by colitic rectal mucosal biopsies has been examined. Verapamil in therapeutic concentration (5 μ g/ml, 10-5 M) reduced leucotriene B4 release from actively inflamed rectal mucosa by 30% (from 60 (5.0 S.E.M.) ng/g wet weight/20 min without, to 42 (5.7 S.E.M.) with verapamil, P 〈 0.05), but had no effect on leucotriene B4 release by rectal biopsies taken from patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis (39 (2.8 S.E.M.) ng/g wet weight/20 min without, and 43 (5.0 S.E.M.) with verapamil). Verapamil did not affect mucosal prostaglandin E2 release. The results suggest that, in active ulcerative colitis, verapamil inhibits mucosal 5-lipoxygenase activity and warrants therapeutic evaluation.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.1992.tb00259.x
Permalink