Cure new diarrhea, no need to rehydrate

US scientists are testing a compound that is able to treat diarrhea directly, inexpensively and easily, to contribute to reducing the rate of children dying from acute diarrhea in countries. developing.

Dr. Ferid Murad (of the Health Sciences Center, University of Texas, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998) has just published the results of the research named 'Pyridopyrimidine derivative inhibits nucleotide synthesis: Reciprocating Used in treating diarrhea '.

According to this study, Pyridopyrimidine derivative has the ability to effectively prevent the body from dehydration when suffering from acute diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae and some strains of E. coli.

In preclinical tests, this compound significantly reduced fluid secretion in animal and human intestines, without causing any harm to the body. Specifically, this compound reduces the formation of information-carrying molecules in the intestinal epithelial cells (causing disruption of the secretion of salts and fluid in the intestine), thereby preventing or reducing loss. body water.

According to Dr. Murad, this compound can be put into the body as an adult pill and a liquid for children.

Diarrhea patients are being treated in Bangladesh.(Photo: daylife.com)

Mr. Murad said: 'In patients with diarrhea, the toxin of the bacteria will stimulate the intestinal mucosa, causing the intestine to release excess fluid normally, causing patients to lose water and severe electrolytes, leading to shock and death. ' The team stressed: 'A toxin molecule has the ability to produce millions of water molecules'.

So far, treatment of diarrhea is done indirectly by intravenous fluids or oral rehydration (oral rehydration), which is to restore water to the body, not to prevent the secretion of fluid. liquid and salt in the intestine. Therefore, according to TS. Murad, 'this study is very promising in treating or preventing diarrhea directly'.

Medical professor Stanley G. Schultz (University of Texas) said: 'A new drug, which works to prevent dehydration and salt of the body, with the lowest side effects, will be' god. It saves millions of people (especially children) in developing countries, and saves billions of dollars that the world has to pay for diarrhea. '

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, 1.6 - 2.5 million children die from diarrhea.

Research results of TS. Murad and his colleagues have just been published in the Proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences on June 16. This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Defense.