An enzyme called Rho kinase has been shown to play a role in maintaining the tone of the internal anal sphincter (IAS). When the IAS tone is too high, the anal sphincter can be hypertensive, and may lead to disorders such as constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, Hirschsprung's disease and other similar problems involving bowel movement.

Working on mice models, scientists have shown that an ROK inhibitor, Y 27632 alleviating hypertensive IAS. According to the authors of the study to be published in this month's Gastoenterology, the inhibitor "causes a dose-dependent fall in the intraluminal pressures in the high pressure zone of the IAS tone".

Read more from the Jefferson Hospital News Release.