However these beneficial effects of CD73/adenosine signaling in the gastrointestinal tract were not only observed in diseases associated with acute inflammation in the gut but also in chronic colitis: For example, treatment of rabbits with an ADORA2A agonist significantly reduced inflammation in acute inflammatory bowel disease and further suppressed inflammatory infiltration in chronic colitis, thus preventing mortality [253]. This evidence concerns the gene NT5E and inflammatory bowel disease.