Carbon Monoxide Liberated from Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecule Exerts an Anti-inflammatory Effect on Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice

Background Endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the three products of heme degradation by heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and exerts novel anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects as a gaseous second messenger. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether exogenous CO could modulate intestinal inflammation.