How the Lung Environment Controls Alveolar Macrophage Metabolism

Lungs related to alveolar macrophage metabolism
Summary: Glucose (sugar) availability in the lungs could impair immune function due to inflammation. Abstract: Fine control of macrophage activation is needed to prevent inflammatory disease, particularly at barrier sites such as the lungs. However, the dominant mechanisms that regulate the activation of pulmonary macrophages during inflammation are poorly understood. We found that alveolar macrophages
Read more
No Comments

Low-carb and Low-fat diets in Relation to Knee Osteoarthritis

Female runner suffering with pain on sports running knee injury
Summary: Low-carbohydrate diet reduced pain intensity both subjectively and objectively. It also reduced adipokine leptin and oxidative stress, which could have been the cause of the pain. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Osteoarthritis is the most prominent form of arthritis, affecting approximately 15% of the population in the United States. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) has become one of the
Read more
No Comments

Dietary Fatty Acids and Susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis

Dietary fatty acids and MS
Summary: Incorporating short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) is a safe and potent add-on therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). Abstract: BACKGROUND: The gut microbiome as well as dietary habits have recently been established as environmental contributors to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). OBJECTIVE: To summarize
Read more
No Comments

SCFAs Train T Cells in the Gut to Fight Autoimmunity in the Brain

SCFAs train T cells
Summary: Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) produced by gut bacteria decreases autoimmunity (immune system attacking host tissue) against the brain. Abstract:  In this issue of Immunity, Haghikia and colleagues (2015)demonstrate that dietary fatty acids, by modulating gut microbes and their metabolism, regulate mucosal immune cells to impact systemic immunity. Using this mechanism, dietary and bacteria-derived medium-chain and
Read more
No Comments

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Summary: Brain lesions can be a result of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Abstract: BACKGROUND: Neurological manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease supposedly are rare, although the exact frequency is not known. Most previous reports involve cerebral venous thrombosis, central nervous system vasculitis, or peripheral nerve inflammation. METHODS: Two cases of patients diagnosed with inflammatory
Read more
No Comments

Low Back Pain

Young adult woman with back pain
Summary: Improvement during low back pain treatment sessions indicate a 3.5 better chance of improvement in-between sessions. In other words, if there’s improvement during a low back treatment (especially first treatment) then there’s a higher chance there’s going to be continued improvement. Abstract: Physiotherapists commonly use post-treatment changes in a patient’s pain intensity and range
Read more
No Comments

Efficacy of Low Level Laser Therapy

Laser therapy. Physical therapist treating patient's shoulder
Summary: Low level light therapy (LLLT) has a greater therapeutic effect with pulsed emissions, rather than continuous emissions. Abstract:  Background. There are several studies in the literature regarding the clinical efficacy of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), however the very few randomized, double blind clinical trials available present contrasting views. The purpose of this trial
Read more
No Comments

The anti-inflammatory mechanism of 635 nm light-emitting diode irradiation.

Summary: Like COX inhibitors (like ibuprofen), red LED’s (light-emitting diodes) with the wavelength of 635 nanometers (nm) inhibited inflammatory markers, proving to be anti-inflammatory. Unlike COX inhibitors, red LED’s decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS), which high levels of ROS is associated to higher cellular damage. Abstract: Background and Objectives Inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) and prostaglandin
Read more
No Comments

Ferritin for the Clinician

Blood cells in the vein
Summary: Elevated serum ferritin (a form of iron) levels are associated with coronary artery disease, malignancy, and poor stem cell transportation. It is also involved in conditions like neurodegenerative disorders, sideroblastic anemia, and hemophagocytic syndrome. Ferritin is an acute-phase reactant for the inflammatory response. Abstract: Ferritin, a major iron storage protein, is essential to iron
Read more
No Comments

Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance

Man doing yoga on his desk
Summary: Posture can influence neuroendocrine levels. High-power poses lower cortisol, increase testosterone, increase power and tolerance for risk. Low-power poses do the exact opposite. Abstract: Humans and other animals express power through open, expansive postures, and they express powerlessness through closed, contractive postures. But can these postures actually cause power? The results of this study
Read more
No Comments