Terlipressin is similar to a naturally occurring hormone present in the body, known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or vasopressin. ADH has two main effects in the body. Firstly, it causes narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), thereby limiting blood flow to a particular area of the body. It also acts on receptors in the kidney to retain water in the body, which helps to prevent excessive loss of water in the urine. Terlipressin is commonly used to stop bleeding of varices in the food pipe (oesophagus). Varices are fragile distended veins that can occur in various parts of the body such as the oesophagus. This is caused by an increase in blood pressure in certain diseases such as severe liver disease. These fragile varices can rupture and lead to life threatening bleeding. Terlipressin is therefore given to narrow blood vessels, and so restricting blood flow to the varices and stopping the bleeding.
Terlipressin contains 12 amino acids Gly-Gly-Gly-c[Cys-Tyr-Phe-Gln-Asn-Cys]-Pro-Lys-Gly-NH2 and having a molecular weight of 1227.4 Dalton.