For patients with COPD, tiotropium has many benefits

According to the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), tiotroprium bromide is one of the drugs of choice for patients with COPD. This drug seems to have many advantages both in terms of symptoms and in terms of quality of life. The researchers reached these conclusions after analysing many studies that have compared tiotropium with others drugs.

Tiotropium is an anticholinergic drug that is used for the treatment of COPD, a chronic disease that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It works by anticholinergic mechanism, that is it reduces smooth muscle contraction and mucus secretion, with bronchodilator effect.

Patients with COPD

COPD is a respiratory disease that is characterized by airway narrowing that occurs due to a chronic inflammatory process and excess mucus secretion. There are two types of COPD: emphysema, that is mainly manifested by dyspnea, and chronic bronchitis, where chronic cough is the dominant symptom. Diagnosis is made by spirometry and there are 4 stages of the disease depending on the degree of damage, so treatment should be adapted. It must be noted that COPD is more common than asthma and it affects more men than women. Risk factors for the occurrence of COPD is cigarette smoking, exposure to chemical pollutants in the environment, exposure to passive smoking etc.

Other drugs used to treat COPD, among anticholinergic drugs, are adrenergic bronchodilators (salmeterol, formeterol, salbutamol, etc.), inhaled corticosteroids (budesonide, fluticasone), mast cell stabilizers (nedocromil), leukotriene antagonists (montelukast, zileuton). It should be noted that although COPD is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment, however, it can be controlled with medication.

According to the IQWiG researchers, tiotropium was shown to have advantages over other placebo drugs. Research has shown that patients who use tiotropium have fewer exacerbations, are hospitalized less, and have a better quality of life. In addition, in terms of daily activity, it seems that tiotropium has an added benefit in this regard.

Also, it seems that tiotropium is more advantageous than salmeterol, formeterol, indacaterol and ipratropium. It was showed that tiotropium is associated with fewer exacerbations and fewer hospitalizations.

10 studies evaluated the difference between tiotropium and other drugs such as ipratropium, the combination of salmeterol and fluticasone and the group of drugs known as “LABA”. The report showed that there is a benefit of tiotropium in terms of exacerbations and symptoms of COPD.

It should be noted that no differences were found regarding mortality, exercise capacity, cardiovascular diseases or side effects between tiotropium and other drugs investigated. Side effects of this drug are related to antimuscarinic effects, that is dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, heart arrhythmias, glaucoma, etc..

Obesity in Menopausal Women Promotes Breast Tumor Growth and Progression

According to a preclinical study published in Cancer Research, overeating and obesity stimulate breast cancer development and growth. It seems that overweight postmenopausal women can reduce their risk of breast cancer if they lose weight.

Paul S. MacLean, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center in Aurora, said that postmenopausal obese women have an increased risk of breast cancer than lean women. He added that the mechanisms underlying this are not fully understood.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. According to the American Cancer Society, 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year and approximately 40,000 women are estimated to die in 2012 from breast cancer. Causes of this  increased incidence of breast cancer are due to modern lifestyle: smoking, oral contraceptives, exposure to various chemical carcinogens (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, etc.), obesity etc. It should be noted that there is a genetic transmission in some cases, the best known being the gene mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Obesity in Menopausal Women

It is important to note that breast cancer is a cancer that can be prevented and if treated properly and in time, it can be cured. There are several signs and symptoms that occur in breast cancer and that should alert women: the appearance of a lump in the breast, blood leaking from the nipple, nipple retraction, skin orange peel etc. Also, imaging investigations have an important role in the early detection of breast cancer. It is recommended that any woman over 40-50 years to perform a mammogram regularly.

Now, MacLean and colleagues have shown that obesity may promote tumor growth. They made oophorectomy in laboratory animals to induce obesity, which mimicked the metabolic changes that occur in women in menopause. At menopause, women tend to gain weight because they consume more food than they need. Then the researchers showed in rat models that obesity is a contributing factor to the development and growth of these tumors.

It was showed that lean rats store excess glucose that result from overfeeding in tissues such as liver, fat, muscle and healthy breast tissue, while obese mice failed to take over and handle excess glucose,and  that this excess was used by breast tumors. In addition, the researchers showed that obese mice tumors have high levels of progesterone receptor and that metformin, an antidiabetic drug, reduced tumor burden in obese rats after surgical ovariectomy.

New therapeutic target of preeclampsia could be discovered

Georgia Health Sciences University Researchers are investigating the mechanisms underlying preeclampsia. They want to see if the dead cells of the placenta are leading to an exaggerated immune response that causes constriction of blood vessels and eventually to hypertension.

Preeclampsia is a condition that occurs in pregnant women after the 20th week of pregnancy and is one of the most feared obstetric complications. Preeclampsia can endanger the life of both mother and fetus. This disease is manifested by high blood pressure (over 140/90 mmHg), proteinuria, and edema. The pregnant may show signs of hypertension such as epistaxis, headache and but also pain in the epigastrium. Hypertension in pregnancy can be controlled by using antihypertensive drugs such as calcium blockers, but in emergency  the only cure is to Cesarian section. On the fetus, preeclampsia can cause growth retardation and preterm birth. Preeclampsia may be associated with HELLP syndrome, a condition manifested by elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. There are several risk factors for preeclampsia: first pregnancy, age over 35 years, twins, preexisting maternal diabetes or hypertension, kidney disease, etc..

Preeclampsia

Although there have been numerous studies on the mechanisms of preeclampsia, the causes of this disease are not clearly defined. There seems to be an abnormal immune response to placenta cells that cause a significant vasocontriction. This vasocontriction lead to hypertension. Now researchers want to understand what exactly is the role of these cells in the development of preeclampsia. Dr. Stella Goulopoulou, a postdoctoral fellow in the Medical College of Georgia at GHSU Department of Physiology, explained that during pregnancy, the trophoblats, the main cells of the placenta, suffer a natural turnover, but in preeclampsia there is an excessive rate of placental cell death . After death, these cells release mitochondria (cell organelles) that binds to Toll-like receptor 9. This binding triggers an inflammatory response. Dr. Goulopoulou said the studies they led have shown that activation of Toll-like receptor 9 leads to constriction of blood vessels.

Now researchers want to discover why the activation of Toll-like receptor 9 leads to inflammation and further to vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction suppresses the  blood supply and the fetus is deprived of oxygen. This is the explanation for the low weight or growth retardation in children born to mothers with preeclampsia.

Dr. Goulopoulou will do research on mice to find the link between Toll-like receptor activation and vessels of the placenta. In addition, she will measure mitochondrial DNA in the blood of pregnant women with preeclampsia. If the research is successful , a  therapeutic target for this disease could be discovered.

Researchers Suggest That Testosterone Promotes Honesty in Men

The results of a new study show that testosterone stimulates positive social behavior through the increase of honesty in male subjects. The hormone has already been associated with higher levels of aggression and criminality. According to a research team from Germany, testosterone could influence positive social behavior, in addition to its already known influences on muscle and libido.

The study was recently published in the online journal PLOS ONE. The lead author of the study, Dr Matthias Wibral, notes that “The disadvantage of many studies is, however, that they only correlate their subjects’ testosterone level with their behavior”, whilst adding that his current paper is a statistical one and not a clinical study that would provide the causes of this behavior. On a side note, Dr Wibral also said that behavior itself influences the levels of testosterone.

Lying

91 healthy subjects participated in the experimental study. 46 of the patients received a skin-applied testosterone gel, whilst the other 45 subjects received a placebo gel. The research team investigated the causes and effects of the hormone in male patients. The study was double-blind and randomized, therefore neither the subjects, nor the doctors, had any idea about who received placebo and who received the actual testosterone gel.

After applying the gel, subjects participated in an easy game. Each subject was asked to play a game of dice whilst being inside an enclosed booth. Based on their score, they would be rewarded with a sum of money. The research team noted that this game was conceived in a certain way, in order to allow the subjects to lie. “Due to the separate booths, nobody knew whether they were entering their real scores into the computer, or higher ones in order to get more money”, said Dr Wibral, whilst adding that researchers were able to detect cheaters based on statistics, because the probability for each face of the dice to occur is the same. In statistics, an outlier is an observation that is numerically distant from the rest of the data, thus the subjects who scored higher numbers were considered as cheaters.

The comparison of the two groups revealed that the participants which received the testosterone gel were more likely to tell the truth. Dr Armin Falk, the co-author of the study, notes that the results of their study indicates that previous research which linked higher levels of testosterone to an anti-social behavior had a wrong one-dimensional approach.

The research team noted that “Lying is a pervasive phenomenon with important social and economic implications”, however, there is very little information regarding the biological foundations of lying. There are multiple studies that examine the implications and effects of lying in economic situations, however only a few studies were directed towards understanding the biological foundations.

“In this regard, this study has allowed us to make a big step forward”, concluded Dr Falk.

Abstract here.

Neuroscientific Study Reveals the Positive Impact of a Handshake

A new study regarding the effect of a handshake has been conducted by researchers from the Beckman Institute. Researchers Florin Dolcos and Sanda Dolcos confirm the old adage about the power of a handshake –  a person who offers to shake another’s hand when greeting will make a better first impression.

It has already been widely accepted that a handshake is recommended in order to make a good first impression. Scientists believe that the handshake was a method to suggest that the persons had no weapons on them. The current paper has been recently published online, whilst also being set to appear in the printed issue of Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, in December. Florin Dolcos, researcher at the Beckman Institute, and his associate, Sanda Dolcos, of the Psychology Department, report that “a handshake preceding social interaction enhanced the positive impact of approach and diminished the negative impact of avoidance behavior on the evaluation of social interaction”.

Handshake

These are the first scientific results that support the already existent idea that a handshake plays a very important role in social or business interactions. According to Sanda Dolcos, these findings are most important for people trying to make a good first impression. She said that the impact of a negative impression is highly diminished through a handshake, whilst also having a positive effect on the further interactions.

A number of 18 people, both male and female, participated in the study. The main focus of the study was to observe approaching and avoidance behaviors in different social interactions. In order to achieve their results, the research team used fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), behavioral responses and skin conductance tests. The subjects participating in the study had to watch animated videos showing non-verbal interactions between a host and a guest.

According to the researchers, the results of the study showed that the handshake and approach behavior received a positive evaluation. In addition, researchers note that the nucleus accumbens showed a higher rate of activity during the handshake conditions, suggesting that handshakes create a positive effect on the social evaluation. The amygdala, the temporal sulcus and the nucleus accumbens were all analyzed during this study.

“The regions of the social cognition network are commonly engaged when people are assessing the intentions of others. They had been identified before and people who have difficulty in interactions, like people with autism, have reduced response in this region”, said Florin Dolcos. He also said that using these animated videos is a major step forward for these types of studies. The videos contained situations where a host encounters a guest for the first time and proceeds to have a business-like interaction. These new videos come as a change from previous studies, which only used stating images instead of dynamic videos.

According do Sanda Dolcos, their study managed to replicate the results of precedent studies, whilst also bringing new data on the regions of the brain that contribute to the evaluation of approach and avoidance interactions. The authors also said that it’s not only the handshake that receives a positive reaction, but also the specific way in which the hand is shaken. Thus, different way of shaking hands give different results.

The study abstract can be found here.

Prolonged Formula Feeding Associated with Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

According to an epidemiological study presented at the 11th Annual AACR International Conference Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research online, prolonged feeding with formula increases the risk of childhood leukemia.

Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and one of the most common childhood cancers. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by proliferation of lymphoblasts, leukocyte precursor cells. Blasts term refers to immature cells that are produced by the bone marrow. Because they are produced in excess they infiltrate the bone marrow and even penetrate  other organs in the body. It should be noted that acute lymphoblastic leukemia mainly affects children after the age of 2 years, with a peak incidence between 2 and 5 years. Recovery rates are high, about 80%.

Acute lymfoblastic leukemia symptoms are anemia, ecchymosis, petechiae, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, dyspnea, bone pain, fever, loss of appetite etc.. The causes are not clearly defined. It seems that leukemia is triggered by exposure to radiation or certain chemicals such as benzene but other factors are also implicated. Diagnosis of this disease arises with clinical signs and laboratory tests. Laboratory tests show abnormalities of blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. It should be noted that accurate diagnosis is given by bone marrow biopsy.

Now researchers have found that babies fed on formula longer have an increased risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia. That  natural diet  provides adequate child development as well as increasing the immune defense is not a new thing. The risk of developing leukemia is because the child does not have a well-developed immune system. Formula does not provide immune factors that given by breast milk. Breast milk is considered the ideal food for the baby during the first 6 months of life. Besides the advantage that it provides all the nutrients necessary for growth and development, breast milk helps develop the immune system of the child.

The researchers pointed out the importance of natural diet after analyzing 284 controls and 142 children from the Texas Children’s Cancer Center and the National Children’s Study in Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. It was found that children who were fed with solid food later made more frequent acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Moreover, they discovered a link between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood leukemia. Mothers of children who had been diagnosed with leukemia smoked more during pregnancy. The risk of leukemia increased by 16% for each month the baby is fed with formula. On the other hand, for each month of delayed introduction of solid foods the risk of leukemia increased by 14%.

For more information please visit  American Association For Cancer Research

Study Abstract

Tis abstract was presented at a press conference hosted by program chairperson Cory Abate-Shen, Ph.D., the Michael and Stella Chernow professor of urological oncology and associate director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center, in the San Simeon AB Room on the fourth floor of the Hilton Anaheim at 7:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

“Longer formula feeding and later age at introduction of solids increase the odds ratio of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Jeremy Schraw1, Yong Q. Dong1, Michael E. Scheurer2, Steven Hirschfeld3, M Fatih Okcu2, Michele R. Forman1. 1University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 2Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 3National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. The literature suggests multiple points of interaction between infant feeding patterns and leukemogenesis whereby diet may influence normal development of the immune system and levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in the serum. Thus the intent of the current study is to examine the association between infant feeding practices and age at introduction of solids, on risk of ALL. Incident cases of infant and childhood ALL (N=142, ages 0 to 14 years) were approached and enrolled in a case-control study at Texas Children’s Cancer Center (TCCC). Controls (N=284) were recruited at TCCC and satellite clinics, as well as from participants in formative research for the National Children’s Study in Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. Cases and controls were frequency matched on age, sex, race and ethnicity.

Differences in proportions of breast and bottle feeding between cases and controls were assessed by chi square test. Differences in the mean durations of feeding practices and age at introduction of solids were assessed by Student’s t test. The odds ratios (OR) of ALL were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis in two models with the infant feeding group (independent variables) characterized as follows and a reference group of exclusively breastfed: in the first model, ever formula fed; in the second model, exclusively fed formula or fed both breast milk and formula. A third addressed the effects of durations of breast and formula feeding and age at the introduction of solid foods on the odds of ALL. Each model was calculated before and after adjustment for race, ethnicity, child’s age and maternal smoking during pregnancy. Cases started solid foods significantly later than controls. More mothers of cases than controls smoked during pregnancy. Compared to the controls, cases had longer duration of formula feeding, and upon analysis of the exclusive formula versus mixed breast and formula fed, mixed feeding groups had a longer duration of formula intake. In a preliminary multivariate model, each additional month of formula feeding was associated with a 16% (OR: 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.25) increased odds of ALL; and likewise each additional month of delaying the age at introduction of solids was also associated with a 14% (OR1.14, 95% CI: 1.04 -1.26) increased odds of ALL after adjustment for covariates.

In this ethnically diverse population, duration of formula feeding and age at introduction of solid foods were directly associated with increased odds of ALL. Further research needs to address the factors influencing duration of formula feeding and delay in introduction of solids. Our results highlight the role of energy balance in early life as critical contributors to risk for pediatric ALL.”

New Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Is Capable of Repairing Synaptic Damage

Researchers from the Washington State University, have created a new synthetic drug that is reportedly capable of improving the cognitive function of laboratory rats that suffer from an Alzheimer-like mental disease. The compound contained in the newly synthesized drug is designed to repair the brain damage done by Alzheimer’s disease. This new compound is completely different from every drug on the market. Drugs that are currently available on the market can inhibit the enzyme called cholinesterase, which is suggested to be part of the learning process and memory development. Another class of drugs that is on the market is used to slow down the process of cellular death.  According to professor Joe Harding, these drugs were not meant to rebuild the connection between neurons, thus are not capable of restoring the lost brain function. He said that this new compound is not meant to stop the evolution of the disability, but  to repair the already damaged nerve connections.

Alzheimer’s Disease

The study was published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, having professors Joe Harding and Jay Wright as main authors, along with their research team from WSU. According to a recent publication from PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), only 3 of the 104 newly developed drugs were approved for production, in the past 13 years.

“This 34 to one ratio of setbacks to successes underlines the difficulty of developing new medicines for Alzheimer’s”, said a representative from PhRMA. The new drug developed by the researchers from WSU is only in its first phases. Approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is required before progress can be made in its development.

Professor Harding said that the safety testing of the drug could cost almost $1 million. The research funds will be granted by M3 Biotechnology Inc., which is Harding’s and Wright’s company. Funds will be received from the Washington State University as well as from partnering pharmaceutical companies.

Harding and Wright have put in work for the development of this new compound since the early ’90s. Back then, they studied the impact of angiotensin IV (a hexapeptide from the angiotensin class) on the hippocampus. The role of the hippocampus is well known in short-term memory and spatial learning. They observed that angiotensin IV, which is usually linked, as all angiotensins, to the blood pressure regulation process, was capable of reversing the learning deficit that comes with different types of dementia.

Unfortunately, this new discovery was limited by the fact that the new drug candidates developed with the use of angiotensin IV were quickly destroyed by the organism, thus not being able to cross the blood-brain barrier. This barrier blocks the passage of molecules from the blood to the brain. Due to this impediment, direct application to the brain was the only practical solution.

“We said, ‘That’s useless. I mean, who wants to drill holes in people’s heads? It’s not going to work. It’s certainly not going to work for the big population”, recalled professor Harding.

Harding and Wright managed to create a smaller version of the compound approximately 5 years ago. They named it Dihexia. This new version was capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, thus allowing the researchers to administer it as a pill. The new version of the compound was tested dozens of laboratory rats that were pre-treated with scopalamine (a tropane alkaloid drug that hinders a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the learning process). According to the researchers, rats that were treated with scopalamine weren’t able to learn the location of a submerged platform in a water tank. However, after they administered this new compound, all of the rats were able to learn that specific location. The results were the same, regardless of the method used to administer the drug, be it orally, parenteral or directly applied in the brain.

Even though the study results are statistically significant, there is need for further testing in order to confirm that the newly discovered drug is effective. At this moment, the “gold standard” compound that is capable of creating new neuronal connections is the BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor). However, researchers suggest that Dihexa is almost 7 times more powerful than BDNF. In numbers this means that 10 million times as much BDNF would be required in order for it to have the same effect as Dihexa.

“We quickly found out that this molecule was absolutely, insanely active. These results further suggest that Dihexa or molecules like it may have applications in other neurodegenerative disease or brain traumas where neuronal connections are lost”, concluded professor Harding.

The in-depth study paper can be found here.

BPA Influences Thyroid Function in Pregnant Women and Newborns

According to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, BPA (bisphenol A) is associated with decreased levels of thyroid hormone in pregnant women and newborns. The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, and reveals the effects of exposure to bisphenol in pregnant women and newborns. These effects in thyroid function may lead to cognitive and motor development disorders in young children.

Thyroid hormones, released by the thyroid gland,  have many roles in the body. It should be noted that the thyroid is affected by pituitary thyroid-stimulating releasing hormone (TSH). Also, the pituitary gland is in turn influenced by the hypothalamus that releases thyroid releasing hormone (TRH). Thyroxine (T4) and triiiodotironin (T3) have an important role both in fetal life and after birth. Thyroid hormones are involved in the development and differentiation of cells in the body. In addition to  neuronal development and maturation, hormones released by the thyroid gland have a role in regulating protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. TSH and TRH secretion begin in fetal life from week 18-20 of pregnancy.

Bisphenol

 Now researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that exposure to bisphenol A affects thyroid hormone levels in both pregnant women and neonates. Studies on the effects of bisphenol exposure have been made in the past. Bisphenol is a compound found in plastics, such as bottles, cans, etc.. Concerns about this chemical began several years ago when it was discovered that bisphenol is harmful in children. Therefore, the use of this compound has been banned in baby bottles. It seems that bisphenol has multiple health effects: endocrine disorders, obesity, neurological disorders, some studies have associated bisphenol with certain cancers.

To see the effects of BPA on thyroid function, researchers conducted a study that included 335 women. They did more tests and measured the levels of BPA in urine and thyroid hormone levels in both pregnant and newborns in the first days of life. The researchers found that the more exposure to bisphenol was higher the more this affected thyroid function. There was a decrease by 0.13 micrograms per deciliter of thyroxine for each doubling of BPA levels. This decrease means hypothyroidism.

In addition, in male infants it was found that doubling the level of BPA  lead to a decrease of 9.9% of TSH. It is still not clear why this effect occurs only in male newborns. The same was found in laboratory animal experiments where female rats were not affected by exposure to bisphenol as male rats were affected. One possible explanation is that male rats have a smaller amount of enzyme that metabolizes bisphenol.

Researchers Find an Association Between Antibiotics in Childhood and Bowel Disease

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have found an association between antibiotic use and bowel disease in childhood. Although studies that revealed this connection have been done so far, however these studies had several limitations. Every year there are 49 one million pediatric prescriptions for antibiotics in U.S. and more than half of these prescriptions contain penicillin.

Bowel Disease

Bowel disease, that is Crohn’s disease and ulcerative ulcerohemoragic, are inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract without a clear etiology established. The two inflammatory diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative ulcerohemoragic have similar symptoms and the difference between them is made only histologically. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal tenesmus, intestinal bleeding. Extraintestinal symptoms can also occur such as erythema nodosum, uveitis, arthritis, arthralgia. Bowel disease is manifested by acute episodes and periods of remission. It should be noted that these diseases can be complicated by abscesses, fistulas and even colorectal cancer. Regarding bowel disease etiology, it appears that there are involved genetic, environmental and immunological factors.  It is believed that bowel disease is triggered by an abnormal immune response against antigens from the gastrointestinal tract. It seems that one of the mechanism through which antibiotics are associated with bowel disease consists in the changes that antibiotics have on the natural bacterial environment of the gut. And these changes seem to trigger the inflammation. It is believed that antianaerobic antibiotics have the highest risk. Regarding tetracycline, however, researchers have not found to be associated with bowel disease.

Now researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle found that the risk of bowel disease is higher if children take antibiotics in the first years of life. Dr. Matt Kronman, assistant professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, said the  connection appears to be a dose-response effect . The researchers collected information from 1 million children 17 years old or younger who were followed for several years between 1994 and 2009. It was observed that 64% of children included in the study took antibiotics at least once and that 58% took antianaerobic antibiotics: penicillin, amoxicillin, tetracyclines, metronidazole, cefoxitin.

In addition, what the researchers found was that 750 children developed bowel disease (Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis). The researchers also discovered that the risk is 5 times higher among children who took antibiotics in the first year of life and the risk decreases with age. However, Dr. Kronman said that the relationship between antibiotic use and bowel disease is an association and a causal relationship effect. In addition, he added that parents should not refuse antibiotic medication that children should receive it early in life if necessary.

Researchers study cannabis compound that can be used to treat epilepsy

Researchers at the University of Reading have discovered that a compound found in cannabis may be used to treat epilepsy. Moreover, they add, this natural compound does not cause side effects as do other drugs used to treat epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characterized by seizures. Most often epilepsy begins in childhood or at old age. It seems that seizures occur due to paroxysmal and synchronous activity of brain neurons. It should be noted that not all seizures means epilepsy because there are also febrile convulsions or seizures caused by meningitis. In epilepsy, the seizures can be generalized or partial.

Cannabis Compound

Epilepsy is a disease that cannot be cured but it can be controlled by drugs called anticonvulsants. Antiepileptic drugs block or prevent seizures by interfering the mechanism of their production. There are drugs that block sodium channels (carbamazepine, phenytoin), or calcium channels (ethosuximide). Also, there are drugs that stimulate the activity of the brain GABA system, which is an inhibitory system. Benzodiazepine act by stimulating this system. Therefore, antiepileptics have a sedative effect. It also should be noted that antiepileptics are effective in certain types of epilepsy, and can not used in all situations. For example, drugs that block sodium channels (carbamazepine and phenytoin) are effective in tonico-clonic seizures and grand mal convulsion, while their use in small epilepticus may lead to worsening of the condition.

Regarding side effects, antiepileptics often lead to many adverse effects. The best known is sedation, which is mainly due to the use of barbiturates and benzodiazepines. An important side effect is the loss of memory and learning ability. Other side effects that may occur are ataxia, diplopia, nystagmus. There are also gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, vomiting) and dermatological effects.
The study led by Dr Ben Whalley, and published in the British Journal of Pharmacology journal, reveals that cannabidivarin (CBDV), a natural compound found in cannabis may be used to prevent seizures. Dr Whalley mentioned that epilepsy is an incurable disease and that a third of patients do not respond to treatment. In addition, he added that drugs currently used give many side effects affecting quality of life. So the finding may lead to improved epilepsy treatment. Now researchers at the University of Reading study how cannabidivarin influence the occurrence of seizures in epilepsy.
Cannabidivarin (CBDV), unlike the other natural compounds found in cannabis, has no psychoactive effects. Therefore  it does not trigger feelings of euphoria like other compounds in cannabis. The antiepileptic effect of cannabidivarin was demonstrated in vitro studies and in those conducted on laboratory animals.