DRAGONFLY KINGDOM NTERNATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY

Abstract

It is now known that chronic consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol is a major source of social and medical problems. Ethanol-mediated glial cell activation may lead to neuron damage in many ways, including the formation of free radicals and production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Vitamin C (vit-C) is an essential dietary nutrient required as a co-factor for many enzymes and a very efficient antioxidant, protecting cells against free radical-mediated damage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of vit-C on glial cell activation and viability against ethanol-mediated toxicity. Human brain astrocyte cells (HA) were exposed to ethanol (0, 50, and 350 mmol/L) for 24 h. We found that glial cells incubated with different concentrations of vit-C increase their vit-C in a dose-dependent manner. HA incubated with 0, 50 or 350 mmol/L of ethanol for up to 24 h showed toxic effects that were proportional to the levels of ethanol in the medium, HA showed increased levels of heat shock protein (Hsp70). However, cells enriched with vit-C before being exposed to ethanol, were better protected against the alcohol-mediated toxicity than non-supplemented cells, and showed significantly lower concentrations of Hsp70. Ethanol also caused increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which were reduced by vit-C. In summary, HA supplemented with vit-C were significantly more resistant to the ethanol-mediated toxic effects.

Indexed for NIH Pubmed by Dragonfly Kingdom Library 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14559112/

Abstract

Background: Migraine is very common in school-aged children, but despite a number of pharmacological and non-pharmacological options for prophylaxis, randomized controlled evidence in children is small. Evidence-based prophylactic drugs may have considerable side effects.

Objective: This study was to assess efficacy of a butterbur root extract (Petadolex) and music therapy in primary school children with migraine.

Design: Prospective, randomized, partly double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.

Methods: Following a 8-week baseline patients were randomized and received either butterbur root extract (n=19), music therapy (n=20) or placebo (n=19) over 12 weeks. All participants received additionally headache education ("treatment as usual") from the baseline onwards. Reduction of headache frequency after treatment (8-week post-treatment) as well as 6 months later (8-week follow-up) was the efficacy variable.

Results: Data analysis of subjects completing the respective study phase showed that during post-treatment, only music therapy was superior to placebo (p=0.005), whereas in the follow-up period both music therapy and butterbur root extract were superior to placebo (p=0.018 and p=0.044, respectively). All groups showed a substantial reduction of attack frequency already during baseline.

Conclusion: Butterbur root extract and music therapy might be superior to placebo and may represent promising treatment approaches in the prophylaxis of paediatric migraine.....

Indexed for NIH Pubmed by Dragonfly Kingdom Library 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17659990/

Migraine as an inflammatory disorder

Christian Waeber, Michael A. Moskowitz

First published May 23, 2005, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.64.10_suppl_2.S9

Inflammation is a localized response designed to protect tissues against infection, injury, or disease. The inflammatory response acts to destroy, dilute, or wall off (sequester) both the injurious agent and the injured area. The production and release of chemical agents by cells in the affected tissue result in the four well-known signs of Celsus: pain (dolor), heat (calor), redness (rubor), and swelling (tumor), to which Galen later added loss of function (functio laesa). Histologically, inflammation is characterized by a complex series of events. These include the following: dilatation of arterioles, capillaries, and venules, with increased permeability and blood flow; exudation of fluids, including plasma proteins; and leukocyte migration into the inflammatory focus.

Although pain and inflammation usually go hand in hand, migraine has not classically been considered an inflammatory disease, possibly because it is not obviously associated with heat, redness, and swelling. Instead, a vascular etiology was proposed on the basis of a report that ergotamine tartrate alleviates pain and reduces the amplitude of temporal artery pulsation in migraineurs,1 a small but significantly increased risk for strokes,2 association with vascular malformations,3 and genetic disorders such as cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL).4 For most of the twentieth century, the prevailing theory of migraine held that pain results from an abnormal dilatation of intracranial blood vessels, leading to mechanical excitation of sensory fibers that innervate these vessels. This “vascular” theory, however, has never been validated. No differences in blood flow velocity exist in vertebral and middle cerebral arteries during and outside migraine attacks,5 and a consistent relationship between vessel caliber, cerebral blood flow, and headache has not been established.6

In recent years, accumulating evidence has shifted the emphasis away from vascular smooth muscle and toward mechanisms related to inflammation within cephalic.......

https://n.neurology.org/content/64/10_suppl_2/S9.short

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increase in the research regarding the impact of acute and chronic inflammation on health and disease. Specific foods are now known to exert strong effects on inflammatory pathways within the body. Carefully selecting foods that are anti-inflammatory in nature while avoiding foods that are proinflammatory is central to an anti-inflammatory diet plan. Ultimately, the plan models a pattern of eating that (1) focuses on eating whole, plant-based foods that are rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients and (2) maintains a stable glycemic response.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; anti-inflammatory diet; fatty acids; glycemic index; nutrition therapy 

Indexed for NIH Pubmed by Dragonfly Kingdom Library

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28350517/

Abstract

Severe COVID-19 arises from the convergence of inadequate pre-existing immunity and a host response that damages, rather than repairs, tissues. We outline clinical presentations of COVID-19 that are likely driven by dysregulated host immunity, discuss potential mechanisms underlying pathological responses, and highlight important areas for basic research on this topic.

Main text

The substantial mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been driven largely by an absence of pre-existing immunity that could have provided some protection in vulnerable populations against severe and fatal outcomes. As population immunity increases in some regions, severe COVID-19 has become much less frequent; yet communities lacking protection continue to be ravaged by this disease. In addition to vaccines, having medications that prevent the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that is often central in fatal COVID-19 could dramatically reduce the threat of SARS-CoV-2 as a human pathogen. For this reason, understanding mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 is imperative.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections result in a vast spectrum of clinical outcomes, yet most infections are subclinical or mild, even in the absence of pre-existing immunity. The drivers of severe COVID-19 are not entirely clear, but excessive inflammation is nearly always associated with worsening clinical status in this disease. Interestingly, minimal virus is detected in most organs obtained from autopsies of COVID-19 patients, which may suggest that while the virus triggers an initial disease, it is not the ultimate cause of organ failure. Tissue damage often appears driven by excessive accumulation and activation of effector immune cells. Together, the evidence supports a model in which severe and fatal COVID-19 are driven by an aberrant immune response to the infection that causes pathology rather than restoring health. We propose that this aberrant response is the driver of susceptibility to severe COVID-19 in vulnerable populations.

In addition to severe disease, SARS-CoV-2 infections can result in long-term symptoms (here called “long COVID syndromes”) in a large proportion of cases, regardless of severity of the acute infection. Many of the long-term sequelae are likely to be driven by inflammatory pathways. In this article, we outline clinical presentations of COVID-19 that are likely driven by dysregulated host immune responses and discuss potential mechanisms of disease as well as outstanding clinical and research questions on this important topic.

COVID-19 clinical presentations and syndromes related to inflammation

Severe acute COVID-19 Those who develop severe COVID-19 usually worsen after 7 days of mild-to-moderate symptoms. Many of the sequalae in severe cases, such as ARDS, thromboembolism, arrhythmias, and renal failure, are mediated by inflammation and are central in the mortality associated with COVID-19. Some effective treatments have immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive effects. These include compounds with data showing clinical benefit such as corticosteroids, tocilizumab that inhibits the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), the JAK inhibitor baricitinib, and SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). While we know that severe COVID-19 is associated with an elevation in routine inflammatory markers and an absence of early neutralizing antibodies, we currently lack adequate tools to identify cases that would benefit from early therapeutic interventions. Further, methods are not yet established for guiding treatments based on monitoring of inflammation within affected organs, short of invasive biopsies. As an example, the assessment of lung bronchoscopy fluid for cellular and soluble factors could be very helpful for therapeutic monitoring and potentially for guiding treatment, yet practical methods for dynamic sampling of this fluid and studies correlating results with clinical outcomes are not available. Such methods could also improve our understanding of the mechanisms resulting in long-term sequelae of severe COVID-19.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children/adolescence.......

Indexed for NIH by Dragonfly Kingdom Library

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8279571/

Abstract

Background:

Many chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis, are associated with underlying chronic inflammatory processes. Literature reviews have analyzed a variety of integrative therapies and their relationships with chronic inflammation. This systematic review is unique in reporting solely on yoga’s relationship with inflammation. Its purpose was to synthesize current literature examining the impact of yoga interventions on inflammatory biomarkers in adults with chronic inflammatory–related disorders.

Method:

Searches of several electronic databases were conducted. Inclusion criteria were (a) English language, (b) sample age >18 years old, (c) yoga interventions involving postures with or without yoga breathing and/or meditation, and (d) measured inflammatory biomarkers.

Results:

The final review included 15 primary studies. Of these, seven were rated as excellent and eight as average or fair. There was considerable variability in yoga types, components, frequency, session length, intervention duration, and intensity. The most common biomarkers measured were interleukin-6 (n = 11), C-reactive protein (n = 10), and tumor necrosis factor (n = 8). Most studies reported positive effects on inflammatory biomarkers (n = 11) from baseline to post yoga intervention. Analysis of the dose showed higher total dose (>1,000 min) resulted in greater improvements in inflammation.

Conclusion:

This review suggests that yoga can be a viable intervention to reduce inflammation across a multitude of chronic conditions. Future studies with detailed descriptions of yoga interventions, measurement of new and well-established inflammatory biomarkers, and larger sample sizes are warranted to advance the science and corroborate results.

Keywords: yoga, inflammation, biomarkers, review, chronic conditions...... 

Indexed for NIH by Dragonfly Kingdom Library

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6700894/

Abstract

The majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or have mild to moderate symptoms. However, for unknown reasons, about 15 % have severe pneumonia requiring hospital care and oxygen support, and about 5 % develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, and multiorgan failure that result in a high mortality rate. The risk of severe COVID-19 is highest among those who are over 70 years of age. Why severe COVID-19 develops in some people but not others is not understood. Could some cases involve reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV)?

Key points

Latent human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is carried by 70–90 % of the adult population and is reactivated by inflammation. One third of patients in intensive care reactivate CMV, which doubles their mortality rate; how many COVID-19 patients reactivate latent CMV to complicate their diseases and enhance their mortality rate?........

Indexed for Biomed Central by Dragonfly Kingdom Library 

https://immunityageing.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12979-021-00218-z

Risk of Forming Stealth Adapted Coronaviruses

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Abstract

Many infectious diseases have yet to be conquered by modern medicine. This is generally attributed to both a failure of the immune system and the lack of an effective anti-microbial pharmaceutical. Infections can be regarded as a competitive process between the microbe and the host for cellular energy-generated resources. Cells obtain energy not only from the metabolism of food but also from the alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway. This pathway utilizes an environmental force termed as KELEA (kinetic energy limiting electrostatic attraction), which provides an added kinetic/chemical energy to the body's fluids. The ACE pathway can be enhanced through the use of KELEA activated water, which is currently available under different names from several sources. Enhancing the body's ACE pathway, including the use of a wearable waterceutical ™, provides a novel means of potentially increasing the body's resistance against all infectious diseases.

Keywords: ACE pathway; Alternative cellular energy; KELEA activated water; stealth adapted viruses; waterceutical.

Indexed for NIH Pubmed by Dragonfly Kingdom Library

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32066365/

Abstract

How might contact with nature promote human health? Myriad studies have linked the two; at this time the task of identifying the mechanisms underlying this link is paramount. This article offers: (1) a compilation of plausible pathways between nature and health; (2) criteria for identifying a possible central pathway; and (3) one promising candidate for a central pathway. The 21 pathways identified here include environmental factors, physiological and psychological states, and behaviors or conditions, each of which has been empirically tied to nature and has implications for specific physical and mental health outcomes. While each is likely to contribute to nature’s impacts on health to some degree and under some circumstances, this paper explores the possibility of a central pathway by proposing criteria for identifying such a pathway and illustrating their use. A particular pathway is more likely to be central if it can account for the size of nature’s impacts on health, account for nature’s specific health outcomes, and subsume other pathways. By these criteria, enhanced immune functioning emerges as one promising candidate for a central pathway between nature and health. There may be others.

Keywords: natural environment, greenspace, immune, mechanism, mental health, literature review

Introduction

Contact with nature has been tied to health in a plenitude of studies. Time spent in and around tree-lined streets, gardens, parks, and forested and agricultural lands is consistently linked to objective, long-term health outcomes. The less green a person’s surroundings, the higher their risk of morbidity and mortality – even when controlling for socioeconomic status and other possible confounding variables. The range of specific health outcomes tied to nature is startling, including depression and anxiety disorder, diabetes mellitus, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), various infectious diseases, cancer, healing from surgery, obesity, birth outcomes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal complaints, migraines, respiratory disease, and others, reviewed below. Finally, neighborhood greenness has been consistently tied to life expectancy and all-cause mortality........

Indexed for NIH by Dragonfly Kingdom Library

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4548093/