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Assessment of Gastric Emptying in Non-obese Diabetic Mice Using a [13C]-octanoic Acid Breath Test
Published on: March 23, 2013
Review article: carbon monoxide in gastrointestinal physiology and its potential in therapeutics
S J Gibbons1, P-J Verhulst, A Bharucha
1Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Background:
While carbon monoxide (CO) is a known toxin, it is now recognised that CO is also an important signalling molecule involved in physiology and pathophysiology.
Aims:
To summarise our current understanding of the role of endogenous CO in the regulation of gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology, and to potential therapeutic applications of modulating CO.
Methods:
This review is based on a comprehensive search of the Ovid Medline comprehensive database and supplemented by our ongoing studies evaluating the role of CO in gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology.
Results:
Carbon monoxide derived from haem oxygenase (HO)-2 is predominantly involved in neuromodulation and in setting the smooth muscle membrane potential, while CO derived from HO-1 has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, which protect gastrointestinal smooth muscle from damage caused by injury or inflammation. Exogenous CO is being explored as a therapeutic agent in a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, including diabetic gastroparesis, post-operative ileus, organ transplantation, inflammatory bowel disease and sepsis. However, identifying the appropriate mechanism for safely delivering CO in humans is a major challenge.
Conclusions:
Carbon monoxide is an important regulator of gastrointestinal function and protects the gastrointestinal tract against noxious injury. CO is a promising therapeutic target in conditions associated with gastrointestinal injury and inflammation. Elucidating the mechanisms by which CO works and developing safe CO delivery mechanisms are necessary to refine therapeutic strategies.
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