Bisacodyl Suppresses TGF-α-Induced MUC5AC Production in NCI-H292 Cells.

MUC5AC overproduction is commonly observed in chronic inflammatory lung diseases and worsens these conditions. Therefore, drugs that inhibit MUC5AC production are urgently needed. To identify novel drugs directly inhibiting MUC5AC production, 640 already approved drugs were screened. We found that the laxative bisacodyl suppressed transforming growth factor (TGF)-α-induced MUC5AC production in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, bisacodyl also suppressed TGF-α-induced MUC5AC mRNA expression in the same concentration range. These results suggested that bisacodyl could be a new drug for treating mucin overproduction.