Research - Addictions
Binge drinking affects kidney function, osmotic balance, aldosterone levels, and arterial pressure in adolescent rats: the potential hypotensive effect of selenium mediated by improvements in oxidative balance
Paula Sobrino, María Luisa Ojeda, Fátima Nogales, María Luisa Murillo & Olimpia Carreras
Abstract
Binge drinking (BD) during adolescence is related to hypertension. There are, however, few studies concerning the effects of BD on kidney function and osmotic balance in relation to arterial pressure. The mechanism by which BD affects kidney function is related to oxidation and inflammation. Recently, Se, an essential trace element possessing antioxidant properties, has also been shown to be related to renal Na+/K+-ATPase activity. This study examined the protective effects of 0.4 ppm selenite administered to adolescent rats in an intermittent i.p. BD model. BD consumption depleted kidney and serum Se deposits, decreased GPx activity, and increased biomolecule oxidation in these locations. In the kidneys, GPx1, GPx3, GPx4, and NF-κB expression also decreased, coinciding with an increase in caspase-3 expression. BD decreased creatinine clearance and fractional Na+ excretion (EFNa), increased transtubular K+ excretion (TTKG) and serum aldosterone (Aldo) levels, and reduced relative Aldo clearance. These effects led to hypernatremia, low urinary flow, and high systolic blood pressure. Se supplementation to BD rats significantly improved oxidative balance, and kidney GPx, NF-κB, and caspase-3 expression; slightly increased EFNa and slightly decreased TTKG and serum Aldo levels; and greatly increased relative Aldo clearance. Se supplementation did not, however, modify creatinine clearance. In conclusion, BD triggers kidney osmotic and ionic imbalances, which contribute to increasing systolic blood pressure. These disturbances could be related in part to Se and selenoprotein GPxs, which decrease oxidative, inflammatory and apoptotic alterations in the kidneys. Se supplementation prevents these changes, improves ionic disturbances, and decreases serum Aldo levels and systolic blood pressure.
Source : Journal Hypertension Research
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Cannabidiol for the Reduction of Cue-Induced Craving and Anxiety in Drug-Abstinent Individuals With Heroin Use Disorder: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
Yasmin L. Hurd , Ph.D., Sharron Spriggs, M.A., Julia Alishayev, R.P.A., Gary Winkel, Ph.D., Kristina Gurgov, R.P.A., Chris Kudrich
, D.H.Sc., Anna M. Oprescu, M.P.H., Edwin Salsitz, M.D.
Abstract
Objective:
Despite the staggering consequences of the opioid epidemic, limited nonopioid medication options have been developed to treat this medical and public health crisis. This study investigated the potential of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicating phytocannabinoid, to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety, two critical features of addiction that often contribute to relapse and continued drug use, in drug-abstinent individuals with heroin use disorder.
Methods:
This exploratory double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial assessed the acute (1 hour, 2 hours, and 24 hours), short-term (3 consecutive days), and protracted (7 days after the last of three consecutive daily administrations) effects of CBD administration (400 or 800 mg, once daily for 3 consecutive days) on drug cue–induced craving and anxiety in drug-abstinent individuals with heroin use disorder. Secondary measures assessed participants’ positive and negative affect, cognition, and physiological status.
Results:
Acute CBD administration, in contrast to placebo, significantly reduced both craving and anxiety induced by the presentation of salient drug cues compared with neutral cues. CBD also showed significant protracted effects on these measures 7 days after the final short-term (3-day) CBD exposure. In addition, CBD reduced the drug cue–induced physiological measures of heart rate and salivary cortisol levels. There were no significant effects on cognition, and there were no serious adverse effects.
Conclusions:
CBD’s potential to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety provides a strong basis for further investigation of this phytocannabinoid as a treatment option for opioid use disorder.
Source: The American Journal of Psychiatry
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A Compound of Chinese Herbs Protects against Alcoholic Liver Fibrosis in Rats via the TGF-β1/Smad Signaling Pathway
Xiaomeng Li,1,2 Yunjie Liu,1,2 Wuyang Yue,1,2 Yuefeng Tan,1,2 He Wang,1,2Lishi Zhang,1,2 and Jinyao Chen
Abstract
Alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF) has become a major public health concern owing to its health impacts and the lack of effective treatment strategies for the disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of a compound composed of Chinese herbs Pueraria lobata (Willd.), Salvia miltiorrhiza, Schisandra chinensis, and Silybum marianum on ALF. An ALF model was established. Rats were fed with modified Lieber–Decarli alcohol liquid diet and injected with trace CCl4 at late stage. The rats were then treated with several doses of the compound. Biochemical and fibrosis-relevant parameters were measured from the sera obtained from the rats. Liver tissues were obtained for hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Matrix metalloproteinase-13 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 were determined by immunohistochemistry assays. The mRNA and protein expression levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), Smad2, Smad3, and Smad7 on the livers were also measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Results showed that the compound treatment alleviated pathological lesions in the liver, decreased the serum levels of hyaluronan, laminin, and hydroxyproline, and diminished the expression of hepatic tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. Compound treatment also increased hepatic matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression and inhibited the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. In conclusion, the compound has a protective effect against ALF in rats, and an underlying mechanism is involved in the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.
Source Journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Binge drinking in adolescence may increase risk for anxiety later in life
A growing body of evidence supports the idea that alcohol exposure early in life has lasting effects on the brain and increases the risk of psychological problems in adulthood. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have found that adolescent binge drinking, even if discontinued, increases the risk for anxiety later in life due to abnormal epigenetic programming. The findings of the study, which was conducted in animals, was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
“Binge drinking early in life modifies the brain and changes connectivity in the brain, especially in the amygdala, which is involved in emotional regulation and anxiety, in ways we don’t totally understand yet,” said Subhash Pandey, professor of psychiatry in the UIC College of Medicine, director of the UIC Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics and lead author of the study. “But what we do know is that epigenetic changes are lasting, and increase susceptibility to psychological issues later in life, even if drinking that took place early in life is stopped.”
“Epigenetics” refers to chemical changes to DNA, RNA, or specific proteins associated with chromosomes that change the activity of genes without changing the genes themselves. Epigenetic alterations are required for the normal development of the brain, but they can be modified in response to environmental or even social factors, such as alcohol and stress. These kinds of epigenetic alterations have been linked to changes in behavior and disease.
Adolescent rats were exposed to ethanol (a type of alcohol) for two days on and two days off or to the same protocol using saline for 14 days. All rats underwent an assessment for anxiety.
Pandey and his colleagues exposed adolescent rats to a regimen designed to mimic binge drinking. Those rats exhibited anxious behavior later in life, even if the binge drinking regimen stopped in late adolescence and the rats were allowed to mature to adulthood without any further exposure to alcohol.
These rats also had lower levels of a protein called Arc in the amygdala. Arc is important for the normal development of synaptic connections in the brain. Rats with less Arc also had about 40 percent fewer neuronal connections in the amygdala compared with rats that weren’t exposed to alcohol.
“We believe that the decrease in Arc levels is caused by epigenetic changes that alter the expression of Arc, and an enhancer RNA, which modifies the expression of Arc. These changes are caused by adolescent alcohol exposure,” said Pandey.
“Exposure to alcohol causes epigenetic reprogramming to occur, leading to molecular changes in the amygdala, which are long-lasting, even in the absence of more alcohol,” said Pandey, who is also a senior research career scientist at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. “If the amygdala has deficits in its wiring or connectivity, and these modifications are long-lasting, the individual is at risk for psychological issues based on difficulties in regulating emotions, such as anxiety or depression and the development of alcohol use disorder later in life.”
Source : The University of Illinois at Chicago via NewsWise
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Reduced Risk of Alcohol‐Induced Pancreatitis With Cannabis Use
Adeyinka Charles Adejumo Olalekan Akanbi Kelechi Lauretta Adejumo Terence Ndonyi Bukong
Abstract
Background
Pancreatitis is an increasingly common clinical condition that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Cannabis use causes conflicting effects on pancreatitis development. We conducted a larger and more detailed assessment of the impact of cannabis use on pancreatitis.
Methods
We analyzed data from 2012 to 2014 of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project—Nationwide Inpatient Sample discharge records of patients 18 years and older. We used the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Edition codes, to identify 3 populations: those with gallstones (379,125); abusive alcohol drinkers (762,356); and non‐alcohol‐non‐gallstones users (15,255,464). Each study population was matched for cannabis use record by age, race, and gender, to records without cannabis use. The estimation of the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of having acute and chronic pancreatitis (AP and CP) made use of conditional logistic models.
Results
Concomitant cannabis and abusive alcohol use were associated with reduced incidence of AP and CP (aOR: 0.50 [0.48 to 0.53] and 0.77 [0.71 to 0.84]). Strikingly, for individuals with gallstones, additional cannabis use did not impact the incidence of AP or CP. Among non‐alcohol‐non‐gallstones users, cannabis use was associated with increased incidence of CP, but not AP (1.28 [1.14 to 1.44] and 0.93 [0.86 to 1.01]).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest a reduced incidence of only alcohol‐associated pancreatitis with cannabis use.
Source : Journal Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research
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Zinc deficiency as a mediator of toxic effects of alcohol abuse
Anatoly V. Skalny1,2,3,4 · Margarita G. Skalnaya2 · Andrei R. Grabeklis1,2 · Anastasia A. Skalnaya5 · Alexey A. Tinkov1
Abstract
To review data on the role of ethanol-induced alteration of Zn homeostasis in mediation of adverse effects of alcohol abuse.
Methods
The scholarly published articles on the association between Zn metabolism and alcohol-associated disorders (liver, brain, lung, gut dysfunction, and fetal alcohol syndrome) have been reviewed.
Results
It is demonstrated that alcohol-induced modulation of zinc transporters results in decreased Zn levels in lungs, liver, gut, and brain. Zn deficiency in the gut results in increased gut permeability, ultimately leading to endotoxemia and systemic inflammation. Similarly, Zn deficiency in lung epithelia and alveolar macrophages decreases lung barrier function resulting in respiratory distress syndrome. In turn, increased endotoxemia significantly contributes to proinflammatory state in alcoholic liver disease. Finally, impaired gut and liver functions may play a significant role in alcoholic brain damage, being associated with both increased proinflammatory signaling and accumulation of neurotoxic metabolites. It is also hypothesized that ethanol-induced Zn deficiency may interfere with neurotransmission. Similar changes may take place in the fetus as a result of impaired placental zinc transfer, maternal zinc deficiency, or maternal Zn sequestration, resulting in fetal alcoholic syndrome. Therefore, alcoholic Zn deficiency not only mediates the adverse effects of ethanol exposure, but also provides an additional link between different alcohol-induced disorders.
Conclusions
Generally, current findings suggest that assessment of Zn status could be used as a diagnostic marker of metabolic disturbances in alcohol abuse, whereas modulation of Zn metabolism may be a potential tool in the treatment of alcohol-associated disorders.
Source : European Journal of Nutrition
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Acupuncture on the Stress-Related Drug Relapse to Seeking
Hyo Sun Roh,1 Bo Ra Park,2 Eun Young Jang,2 Jin Sook Kim,3 and Young S.Gwak
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disease, which causes serious social and economic problems. The most important trial for the successful treatment of drug addiction is to prevent the high rate of relapse to drug-seeking behaviors. Opponent process as a motivational theory with excessive drug seeking in the negative reinforcement of drug dependence reflects both loss of brain reward system and recruitment of brain stress system. The negative emotional state produced by brain stress system during drug withdrawal might contribute to the intense drug craving and drive drug-seeking behaviors via negative reinforcement mechanisms. Decrease in dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens and recruitment of corticotropin-releasing factor in the extended amygdala are hypothesized to be implicated in mediating this motivated behavior. Also, a brain stress response system is hypothesized to increase drug craving and contribute to relapse to drug-seeking behavior during the preoccupation and anticipation stage of dependence caused by the exposure to stress characterized as the nonspecific responses to any demands on the body. Acupuncture has proven to be effective for reducing drug addiction and stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Furthermore, acupuncture has been shown to correct reversible brain malfunctions by regulating drug addiction and stress-related neurotransmitters. Accordingly, it seems reasonable to propose that acupuncture attenuates relapse to drug-seeking behavior through inhibition of stress response. In this review, a brief description of stress in relapse to drug-seeking behavior and the effects of acupuncture were presented.
In conclusion, studies provide strong evidences that acupuncture reduces stress-induced negative emotional state and relapse to drug-seeking behavior by modulating the mesolimbic dopamine system and CRF stress system. A better understanding of acupuncture’s role may lead to the development of successful therapeutic intervention in the treatment of drug addiction associated with stress.
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management—White Paper 2017
Arthur Yin Fan1 , David W. Miller2,3,4, Bonnie Bolash3 , Matthew Bauer3,5,John McDonald3,6, Sarah Faggert2,7, Hongjian He2,8,9, Yong Ming Li10, Amy Matecki9,11, Lindy Camardella2,3, Mel Hopper Koppelman3,6, Jennifer A.M. Stone2,12, Lindsay Meade2,3, John Pang1
Abstract
The United States (U.S.) is facing a national opioid epidemic, and medical systems are in need of nonpharmacologic strategies that can be employed to decrease the public’s opioid dependence. Acupuncture has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based, safe, cost-effective, and available treatment modality suitable to meeting this need. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for the management of numerous types of pain conditions, and mechanisms of action for acupuncture have been described and are understandable from biomedical, physiologic perspectives. Further, acupuncture’s cost-effectiveness can dramatically decrease health care expenditures, both from the standpoint of treating acute pain and through avoiding addiction to opioids that requires costly care, destroys quality of life, and can lead to fatal overdose. Numerous federal regulatory agencies have advised or mandated that healthcare systems and providers offer non-pharmacologic treatment options for pain. Acupuncture stands out as the most evidence-based, immediately available choice to fulfil these calls. Acupuncture can safely, easily, and cost-effectively be incorporated into hospital settings as diverse as the emergency department, labor and delivery suites, and neonatal intensive care units to treat a variety of commonly seen pain conditions. Acupuncture is already being successfully and meaningfully utilized by the Veterans Administration and various branches of the U.S. Military, in some studies demonstrably decreasing the volume of opioids prescribed when included in care.
Source : Journal of Integrative Medicine
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Emerging Evidence for Cannabis' Role in Opioid Use Disorder
Beth Wiese and Adrianne R. Wilson-Poe
Abstract
Introduction: The opioid epidemic has become an immense problem in North America, and despite decades of research on the most effective means to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), overdose deaths are at an all-time high, and relapse remains pervasive.
Discussion: Although there are a number of FDA-approved opioid replacement therapies and maintenance medications to help ease the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms and aid in relapse prevention, these medications are not risk free nor are they successful for all patients. Furthermore, there are legal and logistical bottlenecks to obtaining traditional opioid replacement therapies such as methadone or buprenorphine, and the demand for these services far outweighs the supply and access. To fill the gap between efficacious OUD treatments and the widespread prevalence of misuse, relapse, and overdose, the development of novel, alternative, or adjunct OUD treatment therapies is highly warranted. In this article, we review emerging evidence that suggests that cannabis may play a role in ameliorating the impact of OUD. Herein, we highlight knowledge gaps and discuss cannabis' potential to prevent opioid misuse (as an analgesic alternative), alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms, and decrease the likelihood of relapse.
Conclusion: The compelling nature of these data and the relative safety profile of cannabis warrant further exploration of cannabis as an adjunct or alternative treatment for OUD.
Source : Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
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Aqueous Extract of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae Exerts Anxiolytic Effects during Nicotine Withdrawal via Improvement of Amygdaloid CRF/CRF1R Signaling
Changhong Gu,1 ZhengLin Zhao,1,2 Xiaodong Zhu,3 Tong Wu,1 Bong Hyo Lee,2 Yu Jiao,1 Chul Won Lee,2 Dae Hwa Jung,2 Chae Ha Yang,2Rongjie Zhao,1,2,3 and Sang Chan Kim2
Abstract
Anxiety during nicotine withdrawal (NicW) is a key risk factor for smoking relapse. Semen Ziziphi Spinosae(SZS), which is a prototypical hypnotic-sedative herb in Oriental medicine, has been clinically used to treat insomnia and general anxiety disorders for thousands of years. Thus, the present study evaluated the effects of the aqueous extract of SZS (AESZS) on NicW-induced anxiety in male rats that received subcutaneous administrations of nicotine (Nic) (0.4 mg/kg, twice a day) for 7 d followed by 4 d of withdrawal. During NicW, the rats received four intragastric treatments of AESZS (60 mg/kg/d or 180 mg/kg/d). AESZS dose-dependently attenuated NicW-induced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze (EPM) tests and 180 mg/kg/d AESZS inhibited NicW-induced increases in plasma corticosterone. Additionally, the protein and mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and CRF type 1 receptor (CRF1R) increased in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) during NicW, but these changes were suppressed by 180 mg/kg/d AESZS. A post-AESZS infusion of CRF into the CeA abolished the attenuation of anxiety by AESZS and 180 mg/kg/d AESZS suppressed NicW-induced increases in norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol levels in the CeA. The present results suggest that AESZS ameliorated NicW-induced anxiety via improvements in CRF/CRF1R and noradrenergic signaling in the CeA.
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Anxiolytic Effect of Citrus aurantium L. in Crack Users
Gabriel Chaves Neto,1 João Euclides Fernandes Braga,2 Mateus Feitosa Alves,3Liana Clébia de Morais Pordeus,1 Sócrates Golzio dos Santos,4 Marcus TulliusScotti,3 Reinaldo N. Almeida,1 and Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz1
1Postgraduate Program in Neuroscience Cognitive and Behavior, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
2Department of Nursing and Collective Health, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
3Postgraduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
4Institute of Research in Drugs and Medicines, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic effects of the essential oil (EO) of Citrus aurantium L. in patients experiencing crack withdrawal. This was developed with internal users in therapeutic communities in Paraíba, Brazil. The test population consisted of 51 volunteers, subdivided into three groups. To elicit anxiety, the Simulated Public Speaking (SPS) method was used. Physiological measures were assessed at specific phases during the experiment using appropriate equipment. Psychological measures of anxiety were assessed using the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (IDATE) and the Analog Smoke Scale (HAS). EO was administered by nebulization. The experiment was developed in individual sessions and consolidated to four phases. The results demonstrated that the test subjects in the groups that were given the EO maintained controlled anxiety levels during SPS, when compared to the Control Group (no treatment). Subjects who used the EO also maintained levels of “discomfort” and “cognitive impairment” during SPS. It was concluded that individuals who are experiencing internal crack cocaine withdrawal present high anxiety traits and that nebulization of the EO of Citrus aurantium L. provided an acute anxiolytic effect in crack cocaine users exposed to SPS.
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Yiguanjian cataplasm attenuates opioid dependence in a mouse model of naloxone-induced opioid withdrawal syndrome
- Gao Shuaia,
- Gao Hongb,
- Fan Yuchenc, d,
- Zhang Guanghuab,
- Sun Fengkaia,
- Zhao Jinga,
- Li Fenga,
- Yang Yanga,
- Wang Kaic, d
Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yiguanjian (YGJ) cataplasm on the development of opioid dependence in a mouse model of naloxone-induced opioid withdrawal syndrome.
MethodsOne hundred Swiss albino mice, of equal male to female ratio, were randomly and equally divided into 10 groups. A portion (3 cm2) of the backside hair of the mice was removed 1 day prior to the experiment. Morphine (5 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered twice daily for 5 days. YGJ cataplasm was prepared and pasted on the bare region of the mice immediately before morphine administration on day 3 and subsequently removed at the end day 5. On day 6, naloxone (8 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected to precipitate opioid withdrawal syndrome. Behavioral observation was performed in two 30-min phases immediately after naloxone injection.
ResultsThe YGJ cataplasm significantly and dose-dependently attenuated morphine-naloxone-induced experimental opioid withdrawal, in terms of withdrawal severity score and the frequencies of jumping, rearing, forepaw licking, and circling behaviors. However, YGJ cataplasm treatment did not alter the acute analgesic effect of morphine.
ConclusionYGJ cataplasm could attenuate opioid dependence and its associated withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, YGJ cataplasm could serve as a potential therapy for opioid addiction in the future.
Source Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies into Primary-Care Pain Management for Opiate Reduction in a Rural Setting
Mehl-Madrona Lewis, Mainguy Barbara, and Plummer Julie.
Abstract
Background: Opiates are no longer considered the best strategy for the long-term management of chronic pain. Yet, physicians have made many patients dependent on them, and these patients still request treatment. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have been shown to be effective, but are not widely available and are not often covered by insurance or available to the medically underserved.
Methods: Group medical visits (GMVs) provided education about non-pharmacological methods for pain management and taught mindfulness techniques, movement, guided imagery, relaxation training, yoga, qigong, and t'ai chi. Forty-two patients attending GMVs for at least six months were matched prospectively with patients receiving conventional care.
Results: No one increased their dose of opiates. Seventeen people reduced their dose, and seven people stopped opiates. On a 10-point scale of pain intensity, reductions in pain ratings achieved statistical significance (p = 0.001). The average reduction was 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12–0.60; p = 0.01). The primary symptom improved on average by −0.42 (95% CI −0.31 to −0.93; p = 0.02) on the My Medical Outcome Profile, 2nd version. Improvement in the quality-of-life rating was statistically significant (p = 0.007) with a change of −1.42 (95% CI = −0.59 to −1.62). In conventional care, no patients reduced their opiate use, and 48.5% increased their dose over the two years of the project.
Conclusions: GMVs that incorporated CAM therapies helped patients reduce opiate use. While some patients found other physicians to give them the opiates they desired, those who persisted in an environment of respect and acceptance significantly reduced opiate consumption compared with patients in conventional care. While resistant to CAM therapies initially, the majority of patients came to accept and to appreciate their usefulness. GMVs were useful for incorporating non-reimbursed CAM therapies into primary medical care.
Source : Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
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Alcohol consumption as a cause of cancer
Abstract
Background and aims There is increasing research evidence about the causal role of alcohol in cancer, accompanied by unclear and conflicting messages in the media. This paper aimed to clarify the strength of the evidence for alcohol as a cause of cancer, and the meaning of cause in this context.
Methods Recent epidemiological and biological research on alcohol and cancer was reviewed and summarized, drawing upon published meta-analyses identified from the Medline database and the archives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. More recent epidemiological studies not included in these publications were also reviewed. A brief description of the nature of causal inference in epidemiology was used to frame discussion of the strength of the evidence that alcohol causes cancer, and contrast this with the case for a protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease.
Results The usual epidemiological understanding of a cause is a factor that increases the incidence of a condition in the population. In the context of a body of epidemiological evidence of an association of alcohol consumption with a disease, the inference that it is a causal association requires alternative explanations of the observed finding to be judged unlikely. Even without complete knowledge of biological mechanisms, the epidemiological evidence can support the judgement that alcohol causes cancer of the oropharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast. The measured associations exhibit gradients of effect that are biologically plausible, and there is some evidence of reversibility of risk in laryngeal, pharyngeal and liver cancers when consumption ceases. The limitations of cohort studies mean that the true effects may be somewhat weaker or stronger than estimated currently, but are unlikely to be qualitatively different. The same, or similar, epidemiological studies also commonly report protection from cardiovascular disease associated with drinking but a high level of scepticism regarding these findings is now warranted.
Conclusions There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites in the body and probably others. Current estimates suggest that alcohol-attributable cancers at these sites make up 5.8% of all cancer deaths world-wide. Confirmation of specific biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.
Source : Journal Addiction
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Yokukansan, a Kampo medicine, prevents the development of morphine tolerance through the inhibition of spinal glial cell activation in rats
Mariko Takemoto , Masataka Sunagawa, Mayumi Okada, Hideshi Ikemoto, Hiroki Suga, Ayami Katayama, Hiroshi Otake, Tadashi Hisamitsu
Abstract
Background
Animal models have shown that glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) in the spinal cord undergo activation following peripheral injury associated with chronic pain, suggesting the involvement of these cells in pain diseases. We have previously reported that Yokukansan (YKS), a Japanese traditional herbal (Kampo) medicine, is effective against chronic pain through the suppression of spinal glial cell activation. Morphine is a widely-used opioid analgesic for relieving severe pain, but its repeated administration leads to the development of antinociceptive tolerance. The development of morphine tolerance is also reported to be caused by spinal glial cells activation. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of YKS on the development of morphine tolerance and the activation of the spinal microglia and astrocytes using a rat model.
Methods
Male Wistar rats received a subcutaneous injection of morphine hydrochloride (10 mg/kg/d) for 7 days, and the withdrawal latency to thermal stimulation was measured daily using a hot plate test. Thereafter, the appearance of activated microglia and astrocyte in the spinal cord (L5) was examined by immunofluorescence staining. Ionized calcium binding adapter molecule-1 (Iba-1) staining was used to label microglia and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining was performed to label astrocytes. YKS was administered mixed with powdered rodent chow at a concentration of 3%.
Results
The preadministration of YKS (started 3 d before the morphine injection) prevented the development of morphine tolerance. The repeated administration of morphine increased Iba-1 and GFAP immune reactivities in the spinal cord; however, these activations were inhibited by the preadministration of YKS.
Conclusion
These results suggest that the preadministration of YKS attenuates the development of antinociceptive morphine tolerance, and the suppression of spinal glial cell activation may be one mechanism underlying this phenomenon.
Source : Integrative Medicine Research
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Protective activity of kudzu (Pueraria thunbergiana) vine on chemically-induced hepatotoxicity: in vitro and in vivo studies
- Bo Yoon Chang,
- Dong-Sung Lee,
- Jun-Kyoung Lee,
- Youn-Chul Kim,
- Hyoung-Kwon Cho and
- Sung Yeon Kim
Abstract
Background
Kudzu (Pueraria thunbergiana) root has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, the vine of the kudzu plant has been considered waste material. This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective properties of the kudzu vine.
Methods
We created 0 %, 30 %, 70 %, and 95 % ethanolic kudzu vine extracts. The isoflavone contents of kudzu vine extract were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Tertiary-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP) was added to human liver-derived HepG2 cells, and the production of reactive oxygen species was measured in the presence and absence of kudzu vine extract. Antioxidant activity was evaluated in all kudzu vine extracts using a hydroxyradical scavenging assay. Thirty-five male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into seven groups (n = 5); two groups were not given any extract or drug, one group was treated with 50 mg/kg silymarin orally for 5 days, and the remaining four groups were respectively treated with 100 mg/kg of 0 %, 30 %, 70 %, or 95 % ethanolic extract of kudzu vine orally once daily for 5 days. On day 5 the treatment groups and one untreated group were fed 0.75 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to induce liver damage. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected 24 h after CCl4 administration for measurement of plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and concentration of malondialdehyde and glutathione in liver tissue.
Results
Puerarin was the most abundant isoflavone in kudzu vine extract. Kudzu vine extract significantly reduced the cytotoxicity and production of reactive oxygen species induced by t-BHP in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 0 % and 30 % ethanolic extracts of kudzu vine significantly lowered the plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in a CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity rat model (P < 0.05). Glutathione was significantly elevated in the 30 % ethanolic extract-treated group (P < 0.05), while the malondialdehyde level in liver tissue was significantly decreased in the 0 % and 30 % ethanolic extract-treated groups (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
The kudzu vine is potentially highly beneficial in treating liver damage, as it scavenges reactive free radicals and boosts the endogenous antioxidant system.
Source : BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Hepatoprotective effect of licorice, the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, in alcohol-induced fatty liver disease
- Jae-Chul Jung†,
- Yun-Hee Lee†,
- Sou Hyun Kim,
- Keuk-Jun Kim,
- Kyung-Mi Kim,
- Seikwan Oh and
- Young-Suk Jung
Abstract
Background
Our previous study suggested that licorice has anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated microglial cells and anti-oxidative activity in tert-butyl hydroperoxide–induced oxidative liver damage. In this study, we evaluated the effect of licorice on chronic alcohol-induced fatty liver injury mediated by inflammation and oxidative stress.
Methods
Raw licorice was extracted, and quantitative and qualitative analysis of its components was performed by using LC–MS/MS. Mice were fed a liquid alcohol diet with or without licorice for 4 weeks.
Results
We have standardized 70 % fermented ethanol extracted licorice and confirmed by LC-MS/MS as glycyrrhizic acid (GA), 15.77 ± 0.34 μg/mg; liquiritin (LQ), 14.55 ± 0.42 μg/mg; and liquiritigenin (LG), 1.34 ± 0.02 μg/mg, respectively. Alcohol consumption increased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and the levels of triglycerides and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Lipid accumulation in the liver was also markedly induced, whereas the glutathione level was reduced. All these alcohol-induced changes were effectively inhibited by licorice treatment. In particular, the hepatic glutathione level was restored and alcohol-induced TNF-α production was significantly inhibited by licorice.
Conclusion
Taken together, our data suggests that protective effect of licorice against alcohol-induced liver injury may be attributed to its anti-inflammatory activity and enhancement of antioxidant defense.
Source : BMC Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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The Protective Effects of Buzui on Acute Alcoholism in Mice
Chen Chen,1 Da-Chao Wen,2 Shu-di Gao,3 Xiao-yu Hu,3 and Cheng Yi1
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the role of a traditional buzui recipe in anti-inebriation treatment. Buzui consists of Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, Fructus Chebulae, Fructus Mume, Fructus Crataegi, Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli, and Excrementum Bombycis. The buzui mixture was delivered by gavage, and ethanol was delivered subsequent to the final treatment. The effects of buzui on the righting reflex, inebriation rates, and the survival curve are depicted. Blood alcohol concentrations, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were recorded. The activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as malonaldehyde (MDA) levels, were also measured. Our results demonstrated that a traditional buzui recipe showed significant effects on promoting wakefulness and the prevention of acute alcohol intoxication, accelerating the metabolism of alcohol in the liver and reducing the oxidative damage caused by acute alcoholism.
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) prevents the development of morphine analgesic tolerance and physical dependence in rats.
Darvishzadeh-Mahani F1, Esmaeili-Mahani S, Komeili G, Sheibani V, Zare L.
Abstract
AbstractETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), a well-known spice plant, has been used traditionally in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments such as opiates withdrawal-induced disorders. However, its influences on opioid tolerance and dependence have not yet been clarified.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were rendered tolerant to analgesic effect of morphine by injection of morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) twice daily for 8 days. To develop morphine dependence, rats given escalating doses of chronic morphine. To determine the effect of ginger on the development of morphine tolerance and dependence, different doses of ginger were administrated before morphine. The tail-flick and naloxone precipitation tests were used to assess the degree of tolerance and dependence, respectively.
RESULTS: Our results showed that chronic morphine-injected rats displayed tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine as well as morphine dependence. Ginger (50 and 100 mg/kg) completely prevented the development of morphine tolerance. In addition, concomitant treatment of morphine with 100 and 150 mg/kg attenuated almost all of the naloxone-induced withdrawal sings which include weight lose, abdominal contraction, diarrhea, petosis, teeth chattering, and jumping. In addition, morphine-induced L-type calcium channel over-expression in spinal cord was reversed by 100 mg/kg ginger.
CONCLUSION: The data indicate that ginger extract has a potential anti-tolerant/anti-dependence property against chronic usage of morphine.
Source : J Ethnopharmacol.
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Ginger (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe) Prevents Morphine-Induced Addictive Behaviors in Conditioned Place Preference Test in Rats
Shima Torkzadeh-Mahani, PhD,1 Sima Nasri, PhD,2 and Saeed Esmaeili-Mahani, PhD3
Abstract
Background Consumption of chronic morphine induces neuro-inflammation and addictive seeking behavior. Ginger (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe), a well-known spice plant, has been used traditionally in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments. It has been shown that ginger has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and antinociceptive properties. However, its influences on morphine-induced addictive behaviors have not yet been clarified. The aim of the present study was the inhibition of exploratory behavior of morphine addiction in the conditioned place preference test in male desert rats through ginger.
Methods For conditioning to the morphine, the male Wistar rats received morphine (12 mg/kg intraperitoneally or i.p.) for 6 consecutive days and treatment groups were given different doses of ginger (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg intragastrically or i.g.) 30 min before morphine injection. For investigating addictive seeking behavior, conditioned place preference test (CPP) was used.
Findings Our result demonstrated that injection of morphine for 6 days induces dependency to morphine and creates addictive seeking behavior and ginger (100 mg/kg) could decrease time spend in conditioning box (addictive seeking behavior).
Conclusion The data indicated that ginger extract has a potential anti-addictive property against chronic usage of morphine
Source : Journal Addict. Health
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Phytotherapeutic approach to alcohol dependence: New old way?
Abstract
Alcohol abuse and dependence represent a worldwide problem from both medical and social points of view. In Italy it is estimated that there are about one million alcohol-dependent subjects. The pharmacological treatment of patients with alcohol dependence plays a key role in order to achieve alcohol abstinence and prevent relapse. At present, the possible utility of the complementary medicines in the treatment of alcohol dependence is controversial. In the last years, pre-clinical and clinical data from traditional medicines suggest that novel pharmacological approaches for treatment of alcoholism and alcohol abuse may stem from natural substances. The present review summarizes the findings of the effects of phytotherapy in alcohol addiction.
Conclusion
... Recent experimental evidence and critical re-examination of empirical data from traditional medicines suggest that novel pharmacological approaches for treatment of alcoholism and alcohol abuse may stem from natural substances. Several plant-derived compounds have been shown to significantly reduce alcohol intake, mostly in animal studies. Although several neurotransmitter systems seem to be involved in their effects on alcohol-seeking behavior, the exact mechanisms of action of these compounds remain to be clarified. Until extensive clinical studies are carried out, it will be difficult to extrapolate the findings on animal models of alcohol dependence to a human cohort. The role of these compounds in the treatment of alcoholism will ultimately depend on the outcome of carefully conducted clinical trials. Nevertheless, the extensive positive findings in animal models suggest that the outcome of clinical trials is likely to be positive as well especially when pharmacological treatment is combined with psychological support counselling. Phytotherapy can be a new old way to treat alcohol addiction."
Source : The Free Library
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Alcohol disrupts sleep homeostasis
Alcohol is a potent somnogen and one of the most commonly used “over the counter” sleep aids. In healthy non-alcoholics, acute alcohol decreases sleep latency, consolidates and increases the quality (delta power) and quantity of NREM sleep during the first half of the night. However, sleep is disrupted during the second half. Alcoholics, both during drinking periods and during abstinences, suffer from a multitude of sleep disruptions manifested by profound insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and altered sleep architecture. Furthermore, subjective and objective indicators of sleep disturbances are predictors of relapse. Finally, within the USA, it is estimated that societal costs of alcohol-related sleep disorders exceeds $18 billion. Thus, although alcohol-associated sleep problems have significant economic and clinical consequences, very little is known about how and where alcohol acts to affect sleep. In this review, we have described our attempts to unravel the mechanism of alcohol-induced sleep disruptions. We have conducted a series of experiments using two different species, rats and mice, as animal models. We performed microdialysis, immunohistochemical, pharmacological, sleep deprivation and lesion studies which suggest that the sleep-promoting effects of alcohol may be mediated via alcohol's action on the mediators of sleep homeostasis: adenosine (AD) and the wake-promoting cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain (BF). Alcohol, via its action on AD uptake, increases extracellular AD resulting in the inhibition of BF wake-promoting neurons. Since binge alcohol consumption is a highly prevalent pattern of alcohol consumption and disrupts sleep, we examined the effects of binge drinking on sleep-wakefulness. Our results suggest that disrupted sleep homeostasis may be the primary cause of sleep disruption observed following binge drinking. Finally, we have also shown that sleep disruptions observed during acute withdrawal, are caused due to impaired sleep homeostasis. In conclusion, we suggest that alcohol may disrupt sleep homeostasis to cause sleep disruptions.
Source : Journal Alcohol
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The Effect of a Yoga Intervention on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Risk in Veteran and Civilian Women
with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Shivani Reddy, MD,1,2 Alexandra M. Dick, MA, 3 Megan R. Gerber, MD, MPH, 1,2
and Karen Mitchell, PhD 4,5
Abstract
Background:
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often exhibit high-risk substance use behaviors.
Complementary and alternative therapies are increasingly used for mental health disorders, although
evidence is sparse.
Objectives:
Investigate the effect of a yoga intervention on alcohol and drug abuse behaviors in women with
PTSD. Secondary outcomes include changes in PTSD symptom perception and management and initiation of
evidence-based therapies.
Materials and Methods:
The current investigation analyzed data from a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing a 12-session
yoga intervention with an assessment control for women age 18 to 65 years with PTSD.
The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT)
were administered at baseline, after the intervention, and a 1-month follow-up. Linear mixed models were used
to test the significance of the change in AUDIT and DUDIT scores over time. Treatment-seeking questions were
compared by using Fisher exact tests.
Results:
The mean AUDIT and DUDIT scores decreased in the yoga group; in the control group, mean AUDIT
score increased while mean DUDIT score remained stable. In the linear mixed models, the change in AUDIT
and DUDIT scores over time did not differ significantly by group. Most yoga group participants reported a
reduction in symptoms and improved symptom management. All participants expressed interest in psycho-
therapy for PTSD, although only two participants, both in the yoga group, initiated therapy.
Conclusions:
Results from this pilot study suggest that a specialized yoga therapy may play a role in attenuating
the symptoms of PTSD, reducing risk of alcohol and drug use, and promoting interest in evidence-based
psychotherapy. Further research is needed to confirm and evaluate the strength of these effects.
Source : Journal Alternative and Complementary Medicine
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The Effects and Measures of Auricular Acupressure and Interactive Multimedia for Smoking Cessation in College Students
Mei-Ling Yeh,1 Pei-Lan Wang,2 Jaung-Geng Lin,3,4 and Mei-Ling Chung1
1School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, 365, Ming-Te Road, Pei-Tou, Taipei 112, Taiwan
2Department of Nursing, Hsin Sheng College of Medical Care and Management, Taoyuan, Taiwan
3Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University & China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
4School of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
Abstract
The earlier one starts to smoke, the more likely it is that one’s tobacco use will increase. Either auricular acupressure or multimedia education could improve physiological health status and reduce smoking for young smokers. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 10-week auricular acupressure (AA) and interactive multimedia (IM) on smoking cessation in college smokers. A pre- and posttest control research design with two experiments (AA and IM) and one control was used. Thirty-two participants were in each of three groups. A significant difference from pretest to posttest among three groups was exhibited on carbon monoxide (CO), cotinine, and nicotine dependence. Scheffe’s post hoc test found significances on CO in the AA between the IM and the control and cotinine and nicotine dependence between the AA and the control. After controlling the covariates, the main effect of the group was no difference in all outcomes. The interventions, especially AA, may contribute to a decrease of CO, cotinine, and nicotine dependence along with the time change. An analysis without controlling influences may overestimate interventional effects.
Source : Journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Alcohol and prescription drug safety in older adults
Abstract
Background: The objectives of this study were to investigate older adults’ knowledge of prescription drug safety and interactions with alcohol, and to identify pharmacists’ willingness to disseminate prescription drug safety information to older adults.
Methods: The convenience sample consisted of 48 older adults aged 54–89 years who were recruited from a local pharmacy and who completed surveys addressing their alcohol consumption, understanding of alcohol and prescription drug interactions, and willingness to change habits regarding alcohol consumption and prescription drugs. To address pharmacist willingness, 90 pharmacists from local pharmacies volunteered and answered questions regarding their willingness to convey prescription drug safety information to older adults.
Results: Older adults reported low knowledge of alcohol and prescription drug safety, with women tending to be slightly more knowledgeable. More importantly, those who drank in the previous few months were less willing to talk to family and friends about how alcohol can have harmful interactions with prescription drugs, or to be an advocate for safe alcohol and prescrip-tion drug use than those who had not had a drink recently. Pharmacists reported that they were willing to convey prescription drug safety information to older adults via a variety of formats, including displaying or distributing a flyer, and directly administering a brief intervention.
Conclusion: In this study, older adults were found to have inadequate knowledge of prescription drug safety and interactions with alcohol, but pharmacists who regularly come in contact with older adults indicated that they were ready and willing to talk to older adults about prescription drug safety. Future research should focus on interventions whereby pharmacists disseminate prescription drug safety information to older adults in order to improve healthy prescription drug and alcohol behavior and reduce medical and health costs associated with interactions between alcohol and prescription drugs
Source : Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety.
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Association of Alcohol Consumption With Incident Hypertension Among Middle-Aged and Older Japanese Population The Ibarakai Prefectural Health Study (IPHS)
Yoshiro Okubo,Toshimi Sairenchi,Fujiko Irie, Kazumasa Yamagishi,Hiroyasu Iso, Hiroshi Watanabe,Takashi Muto, Kiyoji Tanaka, Hitoshi Ota
From the Doctor’s Program in Health and Sport Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences (Y.O.), Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (K.Y.), and Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (K.T.), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan; Ibaraki Health Plaza (Y.O., T.S., H.O., H.W.), Ibaraki Health Service Association, Mito, Japan; Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotugagun-Mibu, Japan (T.S., T.M.); Department of Health and Welfare, Ibaraki Prefectural Office, Mito, Japan (F.I.); and Public Health, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan (H.I.).
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of age on the relationship between alcohol consumption and incident hypertension in a general Japanese population. A cohort of Japanese men (n=37 310) and women (n=78 426) aged 40 to 79 years who underwent community-based health checkups from 1993 to 2004 and were free of hypertension were followed up with annual examinations, including the measurement of blood pressure, until the end of 2010. Incident hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of ≥90 mm Hg, or the initiation of treatment for hypertension. Hazard ratios for incident hypertension according to alcohol consumption were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for possible confounding variables. A total of 45 428 participants (39.3%) developed hypertension (16 155 men and 29 273 women) for a mean follow-up time of 3.9 (1–18) years. Significant associations between alcohol consumption and incident hypertension were found in both sexes and age groups (P for trend was <0.001 for men aged 40–59 years and aged 60–79 years; 0.004 for women aged 40–59 years and 0.026 for women aged 60–79 years). No significant interaction with age on the association of alcohol consumption with incident hypertension was found in either sex (P for interaction, >0.05). Our results suggest that alcohol consumption is a similar risk factor for incident hypertension in both the middle-aged and the older populations.
Source : Journal Hypertension
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Acupuncture Stimulation Attenuates Impaired Emotional-Like Behaviors and Activation of the Noradrenergic System during Protracted Abstinence following Chronic Morphine Exposure in Rats
Bombi Lee,1,Bong-Jun Sur,2, Insop Shim,1,2, Dae-Hyun Hahm,1,2, and Hyejung Lee1,2
1 Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong,
Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
2 The Graduate School of Basic Science of Oriental Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University,
Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether acupuncture stimulation attenuates withdrawal-induced behaviors in the rats
during protracted abstinence following chronic morphine exposure. To do this, male rats were first exposed to morphine gradually
from 20 to 100mg/kg for 5 days, and subsequently naloxone was injected once to extend despair-related withdrawal behaviors
for 4 weeks. Acupuncture stimulation was performed once at the SP6 (Sanyinjiao) acupoint on rat’s; hind leg for 5 min during
protracted abstinence from morphine. The acupuncture stimulation significantly decreased despair-like behavior deficits in the
forced swimming test and low sociability in the open-field test as well as increased open-arm exploration in the elevated plus
maze test in the last week of 4-week withdrawal period. Also the acupuncture stimulation significantly suppressed the increase in
the hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression, the decrease in the tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the locus
coeruleus,and the decrease in the hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression,induced by repeated injection
of morphine. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the acupuncture stimulation of SP6 significantly reduces withdrawal-
induced behaviors, induced by repeated administration of morphine in rats, possibly through the modulation of hypothalamic CRF
and the central noradrenergic system
Conclusion
In summary, the current study establishes a direct connection between protracted abstinence from morphine and depressive-like symptoms in rats. These results demonstrate that acupuncture stimulation of SP6 reduces the depression-and anxiety-like symptoms strongly associated with morphine abstinence, probably by modulating hypothalamic CRF and the noradrenergic system that underlies mood disruption. This indicates that acupuncture stimulation ofSP6 might be effective in preventing patients with drug addiction from relapsing into drug seeking while trying to quit, by relieving some of the discomfort of morphine withdrawal symptoms including depression and anxiety.Therefore, acupuncture stimulation may be a useful therapy in the development of alternative medicines for treating morphine withdrawal-related symptoms, such as depression and anxiety
Source : Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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The effects of aromatherapy on nicotine craving on a U.S. campus: a small comparison study.
Cordell B, Buckle J.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of two inhaled essential oils (black pepper or angelica) on the nicotine habits of students, staff, and faculty on a U.S. college campus.
DESIGN: Comparative study with pre-/post-test measures.
SETTING: Community college in rural East Texas.
PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 20 volunteers from the college community (students, faculty, and staff) who were regular (daily) users of nicotine (cigarettes, snuff, or chewing tobacco).
INTERVENTIONS: Inhalation of one drop of essential oil on a tissue for 2 minutes when participant was craving nicotine.
OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Pre-inhalation journal recording of self-assessed level of craving for nicotine on a 0-10 scale, (2) post-inhalation journal recording of self-assessed level of craving for nicotine on a 0-10 scale, and (3) minutes that participant waited from start of inhalation until next use of tobacco. Results: Both black pepper and angelica reduced the level of nicotine craving and allowed a longer delay before next use of tobacco. However, black pepper reduced the level of craving more than did angelica, and angelica allowed for a longer delay than did black pepper.
CONCLUSIONS: Aromatherapy may be useful in nicotine withdrawal. Further studies are warranted.
Source : Journal Alternative Complementary Medicine
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How one dose of cocaine rewires brain
After just one dose of cocaine, mice showed speedy growth of the twig-like structures that connect neurons and form the nodes of the brain’s circuit wiring.
“Our images provide clear evidence that cocaine induces rapid gains in new spines, and the more spines the mice gain, the more they show they learned about the drug,” says Linda Wilbrecht, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
For mice, “learning about the drug” can mean seeking it out to the exclusion of meeting other needs, which may explain how addiction in humans can override other considerations that are necessary for a balanced life.
“The downside is, you might be learning too well about drugs at the expense of other things,” Wilbrecht adds.
Using a technology known as 2-photon laser scanning microscopy, researchers made images of nerve cell connections in the frontal cortices of live mice before and after the mice received their first dose of cocaine and, within just two hours, observed the formation of new dendritic spines.
“The number of new, robust spines gained correlated with how much the individual mice learned to prefer the context in which they received the drug,” Wilbrecht says.
The findings shed new light on the frontal brain’s role in drug-seeking behavior and may be key to tackling addiction.
Previous analyses of postmortem mouse brains have shown that repeated cocaine use and withdrawal changes dendritic spine density after weeks of exposure. But this is the first time that 2-photon laser scanning microscopy has been used to make images of spines in the frontal cortex before and after the first cocaine exposure in living mice, Wilbrecht says.
Mice love the ‘cocaine chamber’ Over the course of a few days, male mice were moved from their cages to a “conditioning box” comprised of two adjoining compartments. Each chamber—one smelled of cinnamon and the other of vanilla—was decorated with different patterns and textures so the mice could differentiate between the two.
Initially, the mice were free to explore both chambers, which were connected by a small doorway. Researchers recorded which side each mouse preferred.
The next day, the mice were injected with saline, which has no stimulant effect on mice, and were placed for 15 minutes in the compartment for which they had shown a preference. The door between the two chambers was shut.
The following day, they were injected with cocaine and placed in the chamber that was not their preferred side. Again, the door between the two chambers was shut and they were inside for 15 minutes.
On the fourth day, the door between the two chambers was open, yet the mice overwhelmingly picked the chamber where they had received and presumably enjoyed the cocaine.
“When given a choice, most of the mice preferred to explore the side where they had the cocaine, which indicated that they were looking for more cocaine,” Wilbrecht says. “Their change in preference for the cocaine side correlated with gains in new persistent spines that appeared on the day they experienced cocaine.”
According to Wilbrecht, “These drug-induced changes in the brain may explain how drug related cues come to dominate decision-making in a human drug user, leaving more mundane tasks and cues with relatively less power to activate the brain’s decision-making centers.”
Source : Futurity
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A Pilot Study of Qigong for Reducing Cocaine Craving Early in Recovery
David Smelson, PsyD,1,2 Kevin W. Chen, PhD, MPH,3 Douglas Ziedonis, MD, MPH,2 Ken Andes, MS, LAc,4 Amanda Lennox, BA,1,2 Lanora Callahan, MS,5 Stephanie Rodrigues, PhD,1,2 and David Eisenberg, MD6
1Center for Health, Quality, Outcomes & Economic Research, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA.
2Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA.
3Center for Integrative Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD.
4Private Traditional Chinese Medicine Practice, Ramsey, NJ.
5Veterans Healthcare Administration, Lyons, NJ.
6Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
Abstract
Objectives:
This pilot study examined the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and determined the effect sizes of external qigong therapy (EQT) in reducing cue-elicited cocaine craving and associated symptoms among recently abstinent cocaine-dependent (CD) individuals.
Methods:
This study randomized 101 CD subjects to either a real EQT (n=51) or sham EQT control (n=50) group. Subjects underwent a baseline assessment and a weekly cue-exposure session for 2 weeks. Total EQT or sham treatments ranged from 4 to 6 sessions in 2 weeks.
Results:
EQT-treated subjects displayed a greater reduction in cue-elicited craving (p=0.06) and symptoms of depression (p<0.05) with medium effect sizes.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated the feasibility of delivering EQT among CD individuals early in residential treatment. Future research should include a larger sample and examine the mechanisms and potential longitudinal benefits of EQT.
Source : The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. February 2013, 19(2): 97-101. doi:10.1089/acm.2012.0052.
Link To Full Article
Homeopathic potencies of Opium in alcohol dependence: exploratory open-label study
Ubiratan Cardinalli Adler1, Ana Elisa Madureira Padula1,
Amarilys de Toledo Cesar1, Maristela Schiabel Adler1,
José Carlos Fernandes Galduróz2.
(1) Associated researchers of the project “Translational study with innovative approaches for dealing with problems related to alcohol use, risk and dependence”.
(2) Department of Psychobioloby – Federal University of São Paulo, UNIFESP
ABSTRACT
Background: The conventional pharmacological options for the treatment of alcoholism are limited, which led to the search for solutions in alternative or complementary medicine (CAM). Homeopathy is a CAM modality recognized as medical specialty in Brazil. According to the clinical experience of the early homeopaths, Opium was used to treat patients with alcohol dependence. Aim: to perform a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness and tolerability of fifty-millesimal potencies of Opium in the treatment of alcohol-dependent patients.
Methods: exploratory, prospective, open-label trial, with pre-treatment measures as control. Confidence intervals were used to estimate the magnitude of the clinical differences.
Results: a total of 14 patients were included, from which 12 were evaluated (intention to treat analysis - ITT). There was a significant reduction in the average daily alcohol consumption (-29.37 units of alcohol/day; 95% CI=10.63; 48.11) and in the severity of alcohol dependence, measured by the mean score of the Short Alcohol Dependence Data questionnaire (-10.17; 95% CI= 4.12; 16.22). No serious adverse events were reported. Randomized controlled studies with larger samples are needed.
Source : Int J High Dilution Res 2012; 11(38):19-24
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A Research study showing the efficacy of Homoeopathic and Bio-chemic medicine for removing the habit of tobacco smoking and alcoholism.
Prof (Dr) M Abdul Lethif
Former Principal & Controlling officer of Homeopathy
Government Homoeopathic Medical College,Trivandrum
Abstract
Homoeopathic medicines were given to 652 patients after detailed study. Science, Technology and Environment Committee, Govt. of Kerala had given Rs.50,000/- as grant for a research study for two years from 15th December 1991. Follow up study was conducted on 279 patients while 373 was drop out. 71.43% was the success rate within two weeks and 23.8% after two weeks in alcoholics. In tobacco smoking the success rate was 62.18% within two weeks and 60.78% after two weeks. The success rate was 73.52% for alcoholics and 66.17% in tobacco addict in persons who used to drink and smoke cigarette. After two weeks the result was 33.23% and 38.97% in alcoholism and tobacco smoking respectively.
Source : Homeobook.com
Link to Source
A pilot Study of effectiveness of Homoeopathic Treatment in Management of Alcoholism
Dr.Binimol BHMS Under the Guidance of Dr.S.G.BIJU BHMS, MD (Hom)
Conducted At ATMTHA KENDRAM, Chabganacherry, Kottayam District, Kerala, S.INDIA
Introduction
Alcohol dependence syndrome - a neurological disorder is one of the major health/social/economic problem in Kerala. Alcoholism is a "dual disease" since it includes both mental and physical components. Long-term alcohol abuse produces changes in the brain's structure and chemistry such as tolerance and physical dependence. These changes maintain the person with alcoholism's compulsive inability to stop drinking and result in alcohol withdrawal syndrome if the person stops. Alcohol damages almost every organ in the body, including the brain. The cumulative toxic effects of chronic alcohol abuse can cause both medical and psychiatric problems. So it is a health issue rather than a social issue for any physician of any system of therapeutics. Homoeopathy put this disease under the most virulent and destructive miasmatic disorder, Syphilitic Miasm.
CONCLUSION
In this present study Alcoholism most commonly found in the age groups of 30 - 50 years and the incidence most common in Middle when comparing to the Upper and lower classes. Homoeopathic medicine found most effective in the treatment (67.5 %) is NUX VOMICA in 1M potency 2 doses daily morning and evening. Stramonium 200,Quracus Spiritus Q, Syphilinum 10M, Opium 1M,Medo 10M, Heparsuph 200, Merc Sol 1M, Sepia 1M, Staphisagria 10M, ArsAlb 0/3,Carcinocin 200,Agaricus M 200, Tuberculinum, are other remedies found effective in individual cases.
The selection of potency was done considering the stage of alcoholism, the intensity and frequency of the intake and the sensitivity of the individual patients. Thedose were repeated 2 doses per day as patient is having temptation to take alcohol 2wice a day in majority of cases. Many cases improved within 3 months and majority got relief by the sixth month. Permanent damage to the liver and other affected organs shall also be managed with medicines but proper investigation is necessary to avoid causalities.
This study reveals 3 major findings.
1. Alcoholism shall be treated without consent and knowledge of patient with Homoeopathic medicines..
2. Homoeopathic medicines shall offer 67.5% result in alcoholism within 180 days.
3. NUX VOMICA 1M twice a day is highly effective in management of alcoholism.
Source : similima.com
Link to Full Article
Prof (Dr) M Abdul Lethif
Former Principal & Controlling officer of Homeopathy
Government Homoeopathic Medical College,Trivandrum
Abstract
Homoeopathic medicines were given to 652 patients after detailed study. Science, Technology and Environment Committee, Govt. of Kerala had given Rs.50,000/- as grant for a research study for two years from 15th December 1991. Follow up study was conducted on 279 patients while 373 was drop out. 71.43% was the success rate within two weeks and 23.8% after two weeks in alcoholics. In tobacco smoking the success rate was 62.18% within two weeks and 60.78% after two weeks. The success rate was 73.52% for alcoholics and 66.17% in tobacco addict in persons who used to drink and smoke cigarette. After two weeks the result was 33.23% and 38.97% in alcoholism and tobacco smoking respectively.
Source : Homeobook.com
Link to Source
A pilot Study of effectiveness of Homoeopathic Treatment in Management of Alcoholism
Dr.Binimol BHMS Under the Guidance of Dr.S.G.BIJU BHMS, MD (Hom)
Conducted At ATMTHA KENDRAM, Chabganacherry, Kottayam District, Kerala, S.INDIA
Introduction
Alcohol dependence syndrome - a neurological disorder is one of the major health/social/economic problem in Kerala. Alcoholism is a "dual disease" since it includes both mental and physical components. Long-term alcohol abuse produces changes in the brain's structure and chemistry such as tolerance and physical dependence. These changes maintain the person with alcoholism's compulsive inability to stop drinking and result in alcohol withdrawal syndrome if the person stops. Alcohol damages almost every organ in the body, including the brain. The cumulative toxic effects of chronic alcohol abuse can cause both medical and psychiatric problems. So it is a health issue rather than a social issue for any physician of any system of therapeutics. Homoeopathy put this disease under the most virulent and destructive miasmatic disorder, Syphilitic Miasm.
CONCLUSION
In this present study Alcoholism most commonly found in the age groups of 30 - 50 years and the incidence most common in Middle when comparing to the Upper and lower classes. Homoeopathic medicine found most effective in the treatment (67.5 %) is NUX VOMICA in 1M potency 2 doses daily morning and evening. Stramonium 200,Quracus Spiritus Q, Syphilinum 10M, Opium 1M,Medo 10M, Heparsuph 200, Merc Sol 1M, Sepia 1M, Staphisagria 10M, ArsAlb 0/3,Carcinocin 200,Agaricus M 200, Tuberculinum, are other remedies found effective in individual cases.
The selection of potency was done considering the stage of alcoholism, the intensity and frequency of the intake and the sensitivity of the individual patients. Thedose were repeated 2 doses per day as patient is having temptation to take alcohol 2wice a day in majority of cases. Many cases improved within 3 months and majority got relief by the sixth month. Permanent damage to the liver and other affected organs shall also be managed with medicines but proper investigation is necessary to avoid causalities.
This study reveals 3 major findings.
1. Alcoholism shall be treated without consent and knowledge of patient with Homoeopathic medicines..
2. Homoeopathic medicines shall offer 67.5% result in alcoholism within 180 days.
3. NUX VOMICA 1M twice a day is highly effective in management of alcoholism.
Source : similima.com
Link to Full Article