Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 2011
Editorial Comment Comparative StudyDo-not-resuscitate orders in evolution: matching medical interventions with patient goals.
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Critical care medicine · May 2011
Comparative Study Retracted PublicationMelanocortin 4 receptor stimulation decreases pancreatitis severity in rats by activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.
Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition that may lead to multisystemic organ failure. Melanocortin peptides have been successfully used in experimental models of organ failure and shock, and their protective effect occurs through the activation of a vagus nerve-mediated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway by acting at brain melanocortin 4 receptors. In the light of these observations, we studied the effects of the selective melanocortin 4 receptor agonist RO27-3225 in an experimental model of cerulein-induced pancreatitis. ⋯ Our data show that melanocortin 4 receptor agonists reduce pancreatitis severity through the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. These findings could be of particular interest in the clinical setting.