Open AccessNovel Pharmacological Therapies for Management of Chronic Constipation
Author(s) -
M.A. González-Martínez,
Nayeli X. Ortiz-Olvera,
Jorge Méndez-Navarro
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of clinical gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.141
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1539-2031
pISSN - 0192-0790
DOI - 10.1097/01.mcg.0000436440.05887.02
Subject(s) - lubiprostone , medicine , chronic constipation , agonist , constipation , pharmacology , gastroenterology , receptor
Chronic constipation is a common health problem that significantly affects the quality of life of patients and impacts in terms of costs; current treatments based on fiber and laxatives cause dissatisfaction to doctors and patients in more than half of the cases. New drugs are now available or in very advanced stages of research, with different and innovative mechanisms of action as prucalopride, lubiprostone, and linaclotide. Prucalopride an enterokinetic, is a selective high-affinity 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)4 receptor agonist of serotonin that increases the peristaltic reflex and the colonic contractions; lubiprostone, a type 2 chlorine channel activator, or linaclotide, a guanylate cyclase-C agonist of enterocytes, both prosecretory agents, stimulate the secretion of fluid within the intestinal lumen. In general, these promising drugs have proven efficacy and safety as a specific therapeutic option in patients with chronic constipation. Yet the solution might not be sufficient for everybody and still without the ideal drug that might be useful in all cases, the pharmacological revolution for colonic motility disorders has arrived.