TY - JOUR AU - Pugin, Jérôme PY - 2014 DA - 2014/06/16 TI - Adrenomedullin: a vasodilator to treat sepsis? JO - Critical Care SP - 152 VL - 18 IS - 3 AB - Adrenomedullin is a vasodilatory polypeptide with pleiotropic effects secreted by various organs. Adrenomedullin is produced first as a prepropeptide, and then cleaved into mature adrenomedullin and mid-regional proadrenomedullin. Whereas levels of the latter have been shown to correlate with severity of sepsis and carry prognostic value, adrenomedullin plays a role in vascular tone homeostasis. In the previous issue of Critical Care, the infusion of exogenous adrenomedullin is suggested to protect against increased lung endothelial permeability and end-organ dysfunction in a model of pneumococcal pneumonia in mechanically ventilated mice, possibly by stabilizing vascular endothelia. Since adrenomedullin is a strong vasodilatory molecule, further studies are needed to evaluate its potential as a future treatment of sepsis. SN - 1364-8535 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/cc13924 DO - 10.1186/cc13924 ID - Pugin2014 ER -