PMID: 

Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2019 Dec 6:1-12. Epub 2019 Dec 6. PMID: 31782320

Abstract Title: 

Evaluation of chamomile oil and nanoemulgels as a promising treatment option for atopic dermatitis induced in rats.

Abstract: 

: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that remarkably affects the quality-of-life of patients. Chamomile oil is used to treat skin inflammations. We evaluated the efficacy of chamomile oil and nanoemulgel formulations as a natural alternative therapeutic option for atopic dermatitis.: Formulations were developed comprising chamomile oil: olive oil (1:1), Tween 20/80 or Gelucire 44/14 as surfactant-cosurfactant mixtures, propylene glycol (10%w/w), water and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (3%w/w). In-vitro physicochemical characterization, stability testing and in-vivo assessment of inflammatory biomarkers and histopathological examination of skin lesions were conducted in rats induced with atopic dermatitis.: Nanoemulgels Gand Xwhich displayed the smallest particle size of 137.5 ± 2.04 and 207.1 ± 5.44 nm, good homogeneity and high zeta-potential values of -26.4 and -32.7 mV were selected as the optimized emulgel. Nanoemulgels were nonirritating of pH value 5.56, readily spreadable, and were physically stable following 10 heating-cooling cycles. Treatment with nanoemulgels showed a two-fold decrease in duration of skin healing and no spongiosis compared to chamomile oil. Levels of biomarkers were reduced after topical application of both nanoemulgels and chamomile oil.: Nanoemulgels are a potential cost effective, safe topical carrier system for chamomile in treating atopic dermatitis.

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PMID: 

J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Dec 5. Epub 2019 Dec 5. PMID: 31808709

Abstract Title: 

Putative Antidepressant Effect of Chamomile (L.) Oral Extract in Subjects with Comorbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression.

Abstract: 

This exploratory analysis examined the putative antidepressant effect ofL. (chamomile) extract in subjects with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with or without comorbid depression. It was hypothesized that chamomile extract would demonstrate similar anxiolytic activity in both subgroups, but superior antidepressant activity in GAD subjects with comorbid depression.As part of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of chamomile extract for relapse prevention of GAD, 179 subjects received initial therapy with open-label chamomile extract 1500 mg daily for 8 weeks. Linear mixed-effect models were used to identify clinically meaningful changes in anxiety and depression symptoms between diagnostic subgroups.The study took place at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.Subjects were≥18 years old with a primary DSM IV-TR diagnosis of GAD. They were subcategorized into two diagnostic groups: GAD without comorbid depression ( = 100) and GAD with comorbid depression ( = 79).Open-label chamomile extract 1500 mg was given daily for 8 weeks.Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), Hamilton rating scale for anxiety, Beck anxiety inventory, Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD), the six-item core HRSD (items 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 13), and the Beck depression inventory (BDI).The authors observed similar anxiolytic effects over time in both diagnostic subgroups. However, there was a greater reduction in HRSD core symptom scores ( 

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PMID: 

Support Care Cancer. 2016 10 ;24(10):4393-8. Epub 2016 May 17. PMID: 27189615

Abstract Title: 

Chamomile infusion cryotherapy to prevent oral mucositis induced by chemotherapy: a pilot study.

Abstract: 

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare cryotherapy made only with water and cryotherapy made with chamomile infusion for prevention and reduction of intensity of oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin.METHOD: This is a randomized pilot study with two groups: cryotherapy made only with water (control group, n = 18) and cryotherapy made with chamomile infusion (chamomile group, n = 20). Both groups were instructed to swish the ice around in their oral cavity for at least 30 min during chemotherapy. Assessment of oral mucosa occurred on days 8, 15, and 22 after the first day of chemotherapy.RESULTS: Fifty percent of the patients in the control and 30 % in the chamomile group developed oral mucositis. Mouth pain score was higher in patients in the control group on all evaluations (p = 0.02 for day 8, p = 0.09 for day 15, and p = 0.14 for day 22). Patients in the chamomile group never developed mucositis with grade 2 or higher. Presence of ulceration was statistically significant on day 8 (16 % in the control vs. 0 % in the chamomile group, p = 0.10), but not in days 15 and 22, although 11 % still had ulcerations in the control group and none in the chamomile group.CONCLUSION: The occurrence of oral mucositis was lower in patients in the chamomile group than in the control group. When compared to the controls, the chamomile group presented less mouth pain and had no ulcerations. Cryotherapy was well tolerated by both groups, and no toxicity related to chamomile was identified.

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PMID: 

Photomed Laser Surg. 2017 Jan ;35(1):32-42. Epub 2016 Sep 14. PMID: 27627685

Abstract Title: 

Low-Level Laser Therapy and Cryotherapy as Mono- and Adjunctive Therapies for Achilles Tendinopathy in Rats.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and cryotherapy are widely used treatments in the acute phase of tendon injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction of these two treatments on tendon inflammation and mechanical properties.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six groups of six Wistar rats were used in this study. The Achilles tendons of the healthy control group were not subjected to injury or treatment. The tendons of the injured nontreated group (ING) were injured, but not treated. The remaining four groups were injured and subjected to LLLT, cryotherapy, LLLT first/cryotherapy, or cryotherapy first/LLLT. All treatments were performed at 1 h post-trauma. Inflammatory mediators, tendon histology, and biomechanical properties were assessed at 24 h post-trauma by comparing the treatment groups with the ING.RESULTS: In all treatment groups, the inflammatory process shifted in an anti-inflammatory direction compared with the ING. Significant alterations in cytokine expression were found in only the LLLT group (↓IL-1β) and the combined intervention groups (↓IL-1β, ↓TNF-α, ↑IL-6). It was also found that cryotherapy followed by LLLT was the only treatment that significantly (p 

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PMID: 

Arch Esp Urol. 2016 Jul ;69(6):317-26. PMID: 27416635

Abstract Title: 

Focal Cryotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the oncological and functional outcomes of contemporary primary prostate focal cryotherapy for localized prostate cancer in the context of current developments in prostate focal therapy.METHODS: We performed a systematic search of the Pubmed, Cochrane and Embase databases to identify studies where primary prostate focal cryotherapy was performed to treat prostate cancer. These included reports on focal/ lesion/ sector ablation, hemi-ablation and partial prostate ablation. We excluded salvage focal therapy studies. Where multiple reports were published over time from a single cohort, the latest one was used.RESULTS: Our search yielded 290 publications, including 17 primary reports on eight single-center cohort studies and one multi-center registry report. Of 1,595 men identified, mean age was 60.5-69.5 years and mean PSA 5.1-7.8 ng/ml. When stratified by D'Amico risk criteria, 52% of the aggregate total number of men were low-risk, 38% intermediate-risk and 10% high-risk. Besides 12-core TRUS biopsy, 3 cohorts reported using TTMB and one included mpMRI to select men for focal treatment. Median follow-up ranged from 13-63 months. BPFS ranged from 71-98%. The overall post-treatment positive biopsy rate was 8-25%. Among 5 cohorts with a mandatory 6-12 month posttreatment biopsy, 216 of 272 men (79%) did undergo biopsy, with 47 positive (21.8%). Of these, 15 were infield, 26 outfield, 2 bilateral and 4 undeclared. Ten upgraded to Gleason≥7. Overall, two men had metastatic disease and none died of prostate cancer. Post-treatment continence rates were 96-100% and rates of erectile dysfunction ranged from 0-42%. The rate of post-treatment urinary retention ranged from 0-15%. The rate of recto-urethral fistula was 0-0.1%.CONCLUSION: Focal cryotherapy for localized prostate cancer is a safe and provides good preservation of sexual and urinary function. Accurate cancer localization and risk stratification is key to patient selection. In highly selected patients, focal therapy has good short to medium term oncological efficacy.

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PMID: 

Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2014 Feb ;10(2):281-94. Epub 2013 Dec 18. PMID: 24345205

Abstract Title: 

Cryotherapy in inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a systematic review.

Abstract: 

The aim of this article was to review current evidence about cryotherapy in inflammatory rheumatic diseases (therapeutic and biological effects). For therapeutic effects, we performed a systematic review (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, LILACS databases, unpublished data) and selected studies including non-operated and non-infected arthritic patients treated with local cryotherapy or whole-body cryotherapy. By pooling 6 studies including 257 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, we showed a significant decrease in pain visual analogic scale (mm) and 28-joint disease activity score after chronic cryotherapy in RA patients. For molecular pathways, local cryotherapy induces an intrajoint temperature decrease, which might downregulate several mediators involved in joint inflammation and destruction (cytokines, cartilage-degrading enzymes, proangiogenic factors), but studies in RA are rare. Cryotherapy should be included in RA therapeutic strategies as an adjunct therapy, with potential corticosteroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug dose-sparing effects. However, techniques and protocols should be more precisely defined in randomized controlled trials with stronger methodology.

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PMID: 

Support Care Cancer. 2019 Dec 11. Epub 2019 Dec 11. PMID: 31828491

Abstract Title: 

Effect of cryotherapy on dose of adjuvant paclitaxel in early-stage breast cancer.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-limiting toxicity of paclitaxel. Though no pharmacological agents have been identified to prevent CIPN, cryotherapy with frozen gloves and socks may reduce the risk of developing CIPN and thereby increase the likelihood of patients completing the planned dose of paclitaxel.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among women with early-stage breast cancer who received at least one cycle of paclitaxel, 119 were included in the 2016 cohort who received cryotherapy when they developed symptoms of CIPN, and 96 patients in the 2017 cohort who received prophylactic cryotherapy. From electronic patient records, data were abstracted on dates and doses of adjuvant paclitaxel, dose reductions, cycle delays, symptoms of CIPN, and whether and when frozen gloves and socks were used. The outcome was the proportion of patients completing the planned 720 mg/mof paclitaxel cumulated over nine cycles. The hazard ratio (HR) of a dose-limiting event due to CIPN was estimated in a Cox proportional hazards model.RESULTS: In the 2016 cohort, cryotherapy was needed due to symptoms of CIPN in 54 (45%) patients. Significantly, more patients, 77% in the 2017 cohort, completed the planned dose of 720 mg/m² compared with 64% in the 2016 cohort, p = 0.017. The HR of a dose reduction or cessation due to CIPN, adjusted for age and HER-2 status, was 0.50 (95% confidence interval 0.30-0.84), p = 0.009, for the 2017 cohort compared with the 2016 cohort.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that prophylactic cryotherapy may reduce the risk of a dose-limiting event due to CIPN and increase the proportion of patients completing the planned dose of paclitaxel in adjuvant treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Despite this, CIPN remains to be an important dose-limiting toxicity of paclitaxel.

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PMID: 

Nat Med. 2019 Dec ;25(12):1822-1832. Epub 2019 Dec 5. PMID: 31806905

Abstract Title: 

Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span.

Abstract: 

Although intermittent increases in inflammation are critical for survival during physical injury and infection, recent research has revealed that certain social, environmental and lifestyle factors can promote systemic chronic inflammation (SCI) that can, in turn, lead to several diseases that collectively represent the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders. In the present Perspective we describe the multi-level mechanisms underlying SCI and several risk factors that promote this health-damaging phenotype, including infections, physical inactivity, poor diet, environmental and industrial toxicants and psychological stress. Furthermore, we suggest potential strategies for advancing the early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of SCI.

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PMID: 

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2019 Dec 9:114850. Epub 2019 Dec 9. PMID: 31830493

Abstract Title: 

Low doses of BPA induced abnormal mitochondrial fission and hypertrophy in human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes via the calcineurin-DRP1 signaling pathway: A comparison between XX and XY cardiomyocytes.

Abstract: 

Humans are inevitably exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) via multiple exposure ways. Thus, attention should be raised to the possible adverse effects related to low doses of BPA. Epidemiological studies have outlined BPA exposure and the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (such as cardiac hypertrophy), which has been confirmed to be sex-specific in rodent animals and present in few in vitro studies, although the molecular mechanism is still unclear. However, whether BPA at low doses equivalent to human internal exposure level could induce cardiac hypertrophy via the calcineurin-DRP1 signaling pathway by disrupting calcium homeostasis is unknown. To address this, human embryonic stem cell (H1, XY karyotype and H9, XX karyotype)-derived cardiomyocytes (CM) were purified and applied to study the low-dose effects of BPA on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In our study, when H1- and H9-CM were exposed to noncytotoxic BPA (8 ng/ml), markedly elevated hypertrophic-related mRNA expression levels (such as NPPA and NPPB), enhanced cellular area and reduced ATP supplementation, demonstrated the hypertrophic cardiomyocyte phenotype in vitro. The excessive fission produced by BPA was promoted by CnAβ-mediated dephosphorylation of DRP1. At the molecular level, the increase in cytosolic Calevels by low doses of BPA could discriminate between H1- and H9-CM, which may suggest a potential sex-specific hypertrophic risk in cardiomyocytes in terms of abnormal mitochondrial fission and ATP production by impairing CnAβ-DRP1 signaling. In CnAβ-knockdown cardiomyocytes, these changes were highly presented in XX-karyotyped cells, rather than in XY-karyotyped cells.

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PMID: 

Int J Reprod Biomed (Yazd). 2019 Oct ;17(10):717-726. Epub 2019 Nov 7. PMID: 31807720

Abstract Title: 

The effect of green tea extract on the sperm parameters and histological changes of testis in rats exposed to para-nonylphenol.

Abstract: 

Background: Para-nonylphenol (p-NP), an environmental contaminant, can generate free radicals that disturbs the reproductive properties. Green tea extract (GTE) is an antioxidant which may prevent the adverse effects of free radicals.The aim was to investigate the effect of GTE on sperm parameters and testis tissue in p-NP-treated rats.Materials and Methods: 24 adult male Wistar rats (21520 gr) were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6/each) – including control, p-NP (200 mg/kg/day), GTE (200 mg/kg/day), and p-NP + GTE – and orally treated for 56 days. The right testes and left caudal epididymis were used to evaluate selected parameters. In addition, the concentration of serum malondialdehyde was calculated.Results: A significant decrease in the sperm number, motility, viability and morphology (p0.001) was observed in the rats treated with p-NP compared to the control ones. The diameter of seminiferous tubules (p0.001), thickness of germinal epithelium (p = 0.018), total volume of testis (p = 0.009), volume of seminiferous tubules (p0.001), and testis weight (p = 0.017) decreased in the p-NP group in contrast with the other groups. Moreover, a significant increase of the malondialdehyde concentration was seen in the p-NP group when compared with the controls (p = 0.043). The majority of adverse effects of p-NP could be recovered following the administration of GTE.Conclusion: It seems GTE can be used as a potent antioxidant in the case of p-NP toxication.

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