Antagonism of cannabinoid receptor 1 attenuates the anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture in a rodent model of migraine.

BACKGROUND: The anti-nociceptive effects of electroacupuncture (EA) in migraine have been documented in multiple randomised controlled trials. Neurogenic inflammation plays a key role in migraine attacks, and the anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture have been associated with the type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether CB1 receptors mediate the anti-inflammatory effects of EA on migraine attacks. METHODS: A migraine model was produced in Sprague-Dawley rats by unilateral electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion (TGES). Rats received EA daily on the 5 days preceding TGES with (TGES+EA+SR141716 group) or without (TGES+EA group) intraperitoneal injections of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716. Another group of TGES rats (TGES+MA group) and a non-TGES sham-operated group of rats (Sham+MA group) received minimal acupuncture (MA). Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations were determined in serum obtained from the ipsilateral jugular vein at initiation of TGES and 5 min after. Postmortem interleukin (IL)-1ß and cyclooxygenase (COX)2 protein levels in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and plasma protein extravasation (PPE) in the dura mater were assessed. RESULTS: TGES induced increases in serum CGRP and PGE2 levels (TGES+MA vs baseline and vs Sham: all p<0.001), as well as IL-1ß and COX2 protein expression in the TG, and neurogenic PPE levels (TGES+MA vs Sham+MA: all p<0.001). EA attenuated TGES-induced increases in the levels of these proteins (TGES+EA vs TGES+MA: all p<0.001). CB1 receptor antagonism reversed the effects of EA (TGES+EA+SR141716 vs TGES+EA: all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CB1 receptors appear to mediate anti-inflammatory effects of EA in a rat model of migraine.

A randomized controlled trial on the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin in patients with chronic sulphur mustard-induced cutaneous complications.

BACKGROUND: Chronic cutaneous complications such as pruritus are among the very frequent complaints of sulphur mustard (SM)-exposed patients. The present trial investigated the impact of curcumin on serum inflammatory biomarkers and their association with pruritus severity and quality of life (QoL). METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind trial among 96 male Iranian veterans (age 37-59 y) who were suffering from chronic SM-induced pruritic skin lesions. Patients were randomly assigned to curcumin (1 g/d, n = 46) or placebo (n = 50) for four weeks. Serum concentrations of interleukins 6 (IL-6) and 8 (IL-8) together with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were measured at baseline and at the end of the trial. Assessment of pruritus severity was performed using the pruritus score and QoL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). RESULTS: Serum IL-8 and hs-CRP were significantly reduced in both groups but the magnitude of reduction was greater in the curcumin group (P < 0.001). Serum CGRP was only decreased in the curcumin group (P < 0.001). No significant change was observed in serum IL-6. There were significant correlations between CGRP and IL-6 changes (P = 0.011) and between DLQI and IL-8 changes (P = 0.026) in the curcumin group. In the curcumin group, changes in serum IL-8 concentrations were found as the significant predictor of DLQI scores (P = 0.026) but none of the independent variables could predict pruritus scores. CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin supplementation effectively mitigates inflammation in patients suffering from chronic SM-induced cutaneous complications. This anti-inflammatory effect might account for the observed pruritus alleviation and QoL improvement by this phytochemical.