Diet and pain (2)

There is a strong association between diet and the development of chronic diseases namely, cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, some cancers and Alzheimer's disease. Studies have found that a diet low in fat and high in fibre not only helps to reduce the risk of chronic diseases but is also essential in reducing inflammation. Inflammation is in fact, a critical aspect in the development of the above-mentioned conditions which are characterised by low-grade inflammation. The pain associated with these conditions may not be immediate as the effects of these conditions accumulate over many years before being detected.

Effects of exacerbations and seasonality on exhaled nitric oxide in COPD

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) appears to be associated with airway inflammation seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present authors studied the effects of exacerbation, season, temperature and pollution on eNO. eNO was measured seasonally and at exacerbations in 79 outpatients suffering from COPD (mean forced expiratory volume in one second = 42%). The effects of exacerbation symptoms, physiological and environmental parameters were analysed. Stable eNO levels were correlated positively with arterial oxygen tension. Median levels were found to be lower in smokers (5.3 ppb) than in ex- or nonsmokers (6.8 ppb). Levels were higher during October to December (6.9 ppb) than in April to June (4.6 ppb). Levels were also higher during 68 exacerbations in 38 patients (7.4 ppb) than in stable conditions (5.4 ppb), independent of the effects of smoking. The rise in eNO was greater in exacerbations that were associated with colds, a sore throat or dyspnoea combined with a cold. In conclusion, exhaled nitric oxide levels were higher in colder weather and in the autumn, perhaps related to the increased prevalence of viral infection at this time of year. The levels were lower in more severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Exhaled nitric oxide levels were raised at the onset of exacerbation, particularly in the presence of a cold.

Measurement of lung inflammation in asthmatics - reason for optimism

It is recognized that bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease. However, aggressive anti-inflammatory therapy is not guided by the degree of lung inflammation. This is of particular concern in children in whom over-aggressive therapy with corticosteroid may lead to growth retardation. Analysis of breath exhaled nitric oxide levels may be an indirect measurement of lung inflammation. Since exhaled nitric oxide levels and inflammation decrease after steroid therapy, measurement of exhaled nitric oxide levels may provide a rationale for optimization of steroid therapy and possible reduction of side effects. Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide levels is not available for routine use but may be so in the near future. This will likely herald a new dawn in the management of asthma, a disease with increasing frequency, mortality and morbidity.(Au)

Topical antiinflammatory activity of phytosterols isolated from Eryngium foetidum on chronic and acute inflammation models

Eryngium foetidum L. (Apiaceae) is a Caribbean endemic plant used in folk medicine for the treatment of several antiinflammatory disorders. A preliminary phytochemical study showed that the hexane extract is rich in terpenic compounds. Chromatographic fractionation of this extract yielded: alpha-cholesterol, brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol (as the main component, 95 percent) clerosterol, beta-sitosterol, delta 5-avenasterol, delta (5) 24-stigmastadienol and delta 7-avenasterol. The topical antiinflammatory activity of the hexane extract and of stigmasterol was evaluated by auricular oedema, induced by 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA), in the mouse, using single and multiple applications of the phlogistic agent. Both reduced the oedema in a similar proportion in the two model assays (acute and chronic). Meloperoxidase activity was strongly reduced by both the extract and the compound, in the acute but not the chronic model. These results indicate that the leaves of Eryngium foetidum L may be effective against topical inflammation processes. Stigmasterol also exerts a significant topical antiinflammatory activity although it cannot be considered to be a major antiinflammatory agent, therefore other bioactive components are probably involved in the activity of the hexane extract.(AU)