WHILE well known for its effect on blood flow, until now Viagra has not been used to boost circulation in the intestine. That could change with the finding that Viagra can help treat Crohn鈥檚 disease. People with the long-term, inflammatory condition develop holes and ulcers in the intestine. A team from University College London wondered whether an overactive immune reaction was the problem.
The team carried out biopsies on six Crohn鈥檚 disease patients and nine healthy volunteers. The operation triggered an acute immune response in the healthy people, producing white blood cells to heal damage caused by the removal of cells. But the Crohn鈥檚 patients responded by producing far lower amounts of white blood cells (The Lancet, vol 367 p 668).
The researchers used Viagra to boost blood flow to the intestine in the patients with Crohn鈥檚 disease, thus increasing the flow of white cells to the damaged area.
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