Why anti-inflammatories harm intestines
|
|
|
| Posted
:
Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:38:01 GMT |
| By
:
Health News Editor |
| Category
:
Health |
| News Alerts by
Email ( click
here ) |
|
Health News |
Home
|
|
|
|
MANHATTAN, Kan., June 25 New versions of drugs like buffered aspirin and Vioxx could produce fewer harmful side effects, say researchers at Kansas State University.Researchers at the Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine are examining how non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, damage the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal tract.Study leader James Lillich says NSAIDs are some of the most commonly used prescription and over-the-counter drugs for relieving ailments from headaches to arthritis by blocking a type of enzyme called cyclooxygenase, or COX, which is needed for healthy cellular function.When tissue becomes inflamed, isoforms of the enzyme produce prostaglandins, which are responsible for the pain associated with inflammation. Although drugs inhibiting COX-2 reduce inflammation, their targets can spill over and also inhibit the gastrointestinal tract's ability to heal itself, leading to problems like ulcers.Lillich found that in addition to blocking COX, NSAIDs also are affecting other important enzymes called calpains, required for cell maintenance. Calpains are vital to white blood cells in epithelial cell migration."Calpains are a good starting point, because they play important roles for a variety of cells, and you are not just looking at one or two cell types when it comes to ulcer formation," Lillich said in a statement. "This will teach us about wound healing, cell migration and what the white blood cell does." Copyright 2007 by UPI
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related News
Nose spray boosts memory while you nap
Hamburg - A new nasal spray boosts short-term memory while you sleep, according to a team of German scientists at a sleep research lab. In a research report in The FASEB Journal, the researchers show that a molecule from the body's immune system (int...
Babies without dads think differently
Hamburg - The brains of babies raised without fathers may be wired differently than those of babies raised by both parents, according to findings by German scientists working with rodents. Fatherless rodent babies exhibit significantly different ne...
Seasonal flu and its symptoms
Hamburg - A seasonal influenza infection can be recognized by a classic progression through a series of symptoms typically starting with a high fever, pain in the limbs, headache and a feeling of general malaise and exhaustion. It then progresses to ...
Spotting the signs of depression
Cologne, Germany - Signs of depression are often physical in nature and include weight loss, insomnia, inexplicable pains, constipation and loss of libido, according to Germany's Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). It said th...
US House passes major health reform - Summary
Washington - The US House of Representatives passed a landmark health reform bill aimed at cutting costs and extending coverage to Americans who lack insurance. The House vote late Saturday marked the biggest victory yet for President Barack Obama's ...
House passes major health reform - Update
Washington - The US House of Representatives late Saturday passed a landmark health reform bill aimed at cutting costs and extending coverage to Americans who lack insurance. The House vote marked the biggest victory yet for President Barack Obama's ...
Bulgaria closes schools to curb flu outbreak
Sofia - Bulgarian health authorities said Friday that they ordered schools to remain closed Monday in order to try to curb the spread of swine flu. As the number of the infected continued to rise quickly, the government also said hospitals were to de...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
