Sarizotan, a 5-HT1A agonist, protects the gut epithelium in DSS colitis
- Sarizotan, a 5-HT1A agonist developed for neurological indications, was tested in DSS-induced colitis in mice and in macrophage and intestinal epithelial cell models.
- Treatment eased colitis signs, cut inflammatory infiltration and epithelial apoptosis, and dampened macrophage cytokine expression; tight-junction proteins were preserved in Caco-2 monolayers.
- Knocking down 5-HT1A removed the anti-apoptotic effect in HT-29 cells, tying that arm of the benefit to the receptor.
💡 Points Based on the abstract
Everything here is DSS in mice plus cell lines, and the anti-inflammatory arm is never tied to the receptor. A 5-HT1A antagonist or knockout in vivo is the missing control. The repurposing pitch leans on 'established safety', but sarizotan's human exposure was in a different disease at different doses; I'd want gut exposure and a chronic or T-cell-driven colitis model before taking it further.