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The anti-impotence drug Viagra could help treat Crohn's disease

researchers have found. They believe the bowel disorder may be

triggered by a

weak immune system and Viagra works to correct the low blood flow in

patients. Crohn's disease usually affects the small intestine. It is a

chronic inflammatory disorder which causes ulcerations and can make

digesting food painful. Scientists from the University College of

London, compared the immune system response of Crohn's patients and

healthy

individuals to minor injuries, such as skin abrasions.

They found that Crohn's was triggered by a weak immune system, rather

than an overactive one where cells are attacked by the body's own

immune system. Crohn's patients did not generate enough white blood

cells

- needed to fight bacteria. Viagra corrected blood flow To test the

inflammatory response to bacteria, the researchers also injected a

harmless form of E coli under the skin of patients. In healthy

controls,

blood flow in the area of inflammation increased roughly 10-fold over

24 hours. But Cohn's patients had much lower blood flow. However, Viagra

helped to correct the low blood flow in patients. The researchers

believe Crohn's patients are unable to destroy bacteria that penetrate

the

intestinal wall because of their weakened immune systems. Thus the

bacteria are left to build up in the tissue, stimulating the secretion of

inflammatory chemicals that trigger the symptoms of Crohn's.