Search results for "arthritis"
showing 10 items of 1029 documents
Autologous conditioned serum for chronic pain in patients with osteoarthritis: A feasibility observational study
2022
Background Autologous conditioned serum is a product of blood origin, with fragmented evidence of therapeutic properties in osteoarthritis chronic pain. This pilot observational prospective study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a treatment with conditional autologous serum (ACS) in patients with severe chronic pain and grade I-III osteoarthritis and to describe its cytokine content. Methods We prospectively collected data on consecutive patients affected by osteoarthritis grade I to III and treated with four weekly injections of ACS at our outpatient pain service. The primary outcome was pain intensity, measured with the visual analogic scale (VAS). Additional outcomes were symptoms ev…
Cyclooxygenase inhibitors – current status and future prospects
2001
Prostaglandins are formed from arachidonic acid by the action of cyclooxygenase and subsequent downstream synthetases. Two closely related forms of the cyclooxygenase have been identified which are now known as COX-1 and COX-2. Both isoenzymes transform arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, but differ in their distribution and their physiological roles. Meanwhile, the responsible genes and their regulation have been clarified. COX-1, the pre-dominantly constitutive form of the enzyme, is expressed throughout the body and performs a number of homeostatic functions such as maintaining normal gastric mucosa and influencing renal blood flow and platelet aggregation. In contrast, the inducible for…
Experience of the dispensing of plant and sea animal extract-based rheumatoid arthritis drugs
2007
Anti-arthritic activity of a lipophilic woad (Isatis tinctoria) extract
2006
A dichloromethane extract of Isatis tinctoria was tested in the adjuvant-induced arthritis model in rats. The extract (150 mg/kg p. o.) leads to a significant reduction of paw oedema. Radiographic, histological and clinical assessment confirmed reduced damage of cartilage and signs of inflammatory response in comparison to untreated control. No significant differences were observed in the tissular levels of cyclooxygenases 1 and -2, and of inducible nitric oxide synthase in Isatis treated and untreated animals. High dose treatment with Isatis extract for two weeks did not result in macroscopic lesions of the gastric mucosa.
Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecules: A Pharmacological Expedient to Counteract Inflammation
2008
Carbon monoxide (CO) mediates many of the biological effects that are attributed to heme oxygenase (HO), the enzyme responsible for CO production in mammals. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of HO-1, the inducible isoform of heme oxygenase, have been demonstrated in a variety of disease models and a therapeutic exploitation of this pathway is currently under scrutiny. In this context, the liberation of CO from CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs) is extremely attractive as these compounds may form the basis of a new class of pharmaceuticals. Recent investigations indicate that HO-1 and CO modulate important processes in chronic inflammation; these include the control of immune respon…
Heart Valve Abnormalities in Systemic Sclerosis Patients; A Multicenter Cohort Study and Review of the Literature
2020
Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by vasculopathy and fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. Heart valve diseases are poorly described and generally not considered typical of SSc. We aimed to describe valvular abnormalities in a multicenter cohort of SSc patients and to investigate their correlation with SSc features. Methods We recruited 118 consecutive SSc patients (male/female, 14/104; mean age, 55.2 ± 12.1 years) in 3 rheumatology centers in Sicily, Italy, from January to October 2019. Results Mitral and tricuspid valve insufficiency was found in 85% and 91% of patients, respectively; regurgitations were generally mild and never…
Effects of high intensity resistance aquatic training on body composition and walking speed in women with mild knee osteoarthritis : a 4-month RCT wi…
2017
Objective: To investigate the effects of 4-months intensive aquatic resistance training on body composition and walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis (OA), immediately after intervention and after 12-months follow-up. Additionally, influence of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) will be investigated. Design: This randomised clinical trial assigned eighty-seven volunteer postmenopausal women into two study arms. The intervention group (n = 43) participated in 48 supervised intensive aquatic resistance training sessions over 4-months while the control group (n = 44) maintained normal physical activity. Eighty four participants continued into the 12-months' fo…
Activation of nitric oxide signaling by the rheumatoid arthritis shared epitope
2006
Objective. Susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is closely associated with HLA–DRB1 alleles encoding a shared epitope (SE) in positions 70–74 of the HLA–DR chain. The mechanistic basis for this association is unknown. Given the proposed pathogenic role of nitric oxide (NO) in RA, this study was undertaken to examine whether the SE can trigger NO signaling events. Methods. The intracellular levels of NO were measured with the fluorescent NO probe 4,5diaminofluorescein diacetate and by the 2,3diaminonaphthalene method. NO synthase activity was determined by measuring the rate of conversion of radioactive arginine to citrulline. Levels of cGMP were measured with a commercial enzyme-link…
The rheumatoid arthritis shared epitope increases cellular susceptibility to oxidative stress by antagonizing an adenosine-mediated anti-oxidative pa…
2006
We have recently demonstrated that the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) shared epitope (SE) acts as a ligand that triggers nitric oxide (NO) signaling in opposite cells. Given the known pro-oxidative effect of NO and the proposed role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of RA, this study explores whether SE-triggered signaling can increase cellular oxidative stress. cAMP levels, adenylyl cyclase activity, and protein kinase A activity were measured using commercial kits. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was quantified using the fluorochrome dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Oxidative DNA damage was quantified using the single-cell electrophoresis technique. Here, we report that cells e…