(Press-News.org) Cold season may be just behind us, but a new discovery may shed light on how this common condition triggers asthma attacks. In a new research report published in the June 2014 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, researchers show that in individuals with asthma, statins significantly reduce the in vitro inflammatory response of human monocytes to rhinovirus (RV), the cause of the common cold. Not only does this discovery suggest that statins could help prevent or reduce the severity of asthma symptoms resulting from colds, but may also open the doors to further research into novel ways of controlling asthma attacks.
"Our findings--that statins reduce rhinovirus-induced CXCL10 secretion from human monocytic cells--suggest that these frequently prescribed drugs may affect asthma exacerbations caused by the common cold in adults," said Lisa E. Wickert, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. "We hope that these findings will provide motivation to study how statins not only affect asthma symptoms but more specifically viral-induced asthma exacerbations."
To make their discovery, the researchers isolated human blood monocytes and lung macrophages from patients with allergies and/or asthma and treated the cells with simvastatin, a commonly prescribed statin drug. The cells were then stimulated with three different human RV strains. Researchers compared the inflammatory response of control-treated versus simvastatin-treated cells to RV by measuring CXCL10 secretion, an implicated therapeutic target for virus-induced asthma exacerbations. They found that CXCL10 secretion was lower from simvastatin-treated monocytic cells than in control-treated monocytic cells. In individuals with asthma, statins may modulate the immune response to rhinovirus, which can potentially affect the risk of a viral-induced asthma exacerbation.
"Not only does this report shed light on how colds exacerbate asthma, it also suggests new pathways and existing drugs that might be exploited to limit this, in some cases, severe combination of respiratory events," said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, "These findings also highlight an emerging appreciation for the interaction between metabolic pathways and the immune system."
INFORMATION:
The Journal of Leukocyte Biology publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on original investigations focusing on the cellular and molecular biology of leukocytes and on the origins, the developmental biology, biochemistry and functions of granulocytes, lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes and other cells involved in host defense and inflammation. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology is published by the Society for Leukocyte Biology.
Details: Lisa E. Wickert, Maya R. Karta, Anjon Audhya, James E. Gern, and Paul J. Bertics. Simvastatin attenuates rhinovirus-induced interferon and CXCL10 secretion from monocytic cells in vitro. J. Leukoc. Biol. June 2014, 95:951-959; doi:10.1189/jlb.0713413 ; http://www.jleukbio.org/content/95/6/951.abstract
Common cholesterol drug greatly alters inflammatory response to common cold
New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that because of their anti-inflammatory properties, future studies should examine the effects of statins specifically on viral-induced asthma exacerbations
2014-06-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Why some experimental forms of 'The Pill for Males' will never rise to the occasion
2014-06-02
It appears that "The Pill" for men will have to wait a while longer. A new research report published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal involving mice, shows that a previously developed male hormonal oral contraceptive method (i.e. via testosterone) is unable to stop the production and / or the release of sperm.
"Our research in mice explains why the efficacy of male hormonal contraception is not as effective as expected and it provides clues on how to improve the method," said Ilpo Huhtaniemi, M.D., Ph.D., M.D.hc, FMed.Sci., a researcher involved in the work ...
Early steps toward personalized fitness: Interval training may benefit men more than women
2014-06-02
When it comes to reaping benefits of sprint interval training, it appears that men have won the battle of the sexes, if just barely. According to new research published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal, men create more new proteins as a result of this exercise than women do. The good news, however, is that men and women experienced similar increases in aerobic capacity. This study is the first to directly measure the creation of proteins made to adapt to this mode of exercise. The study also uniquely used methods that measure the cumulative making of proteins ...
Nano-platform ready: Scientists use DNA origami to create 2D structures
2014-06-02
Scientists at New York University and the University of Melbourne have developed a method using DNA origami to turn one-dimensional nano materials into two dimensions. Their breakthrough, published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology, offers the potential to enhance fiber optics and electronic devices by reducing their size and increasing their speed.
"We can now take linear nano-materials and direct how they are organized in two dimensions, using a DNA origami platform to create any number of shapes," explains NYU Chemistry Professor Nadrian Seeman, ...
Study finds that suicides are far more likely to occur after midnight
2014-06-02
DARIEN, IL – A new study provides novel evidence suggesting that suicides are far more likely to occur between midnight and 4 a.m. than during the daytime or evening.
Results show that the weighted, scaled mean suicide rate per hour was 10.27 percent after midnight, peaking at 16.27 percent between 2 a.m. and 2:59 a.m. In contrast, the mean suicide rate per hour was 2.13 percent between 6 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. When six-hour time blocks were examined, the observed frequency of suicide between midnight and 5:59 a.m. was 3.6 times higher than expected.
"This appears to ...
Antipsychotic medication during pregnancy does affect babies, study shows
2014-06-02
A seven-year study of women who take antipsychotic medication while pregnant, proves it can affect babies.
The observational study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, reveals that whilst most women gave birth to healthy babies, the use of mood stabilisers or higher doses of antipsychotics during pregnancy increased the need for special care after birth with 43 per cent of babies placed in a Special Care Nursery (SCN) or a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), almost three times the national rate in Australia.
As well as an increased likelihood of the need for intensive ...
Neuron tells stem cells to grow new neurons
2014-06-02
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke researchers have found a new type of neuron in the adult brain that is capable of telling stem cells to make more new neurons. Though the experiments are in their early stages, the finding opens the tantalizing possibility that the brain may be able to repair itself from within.
Neuroscientists have suspected for some time that the brain has some capacity to direct the manufacturing of new neurons, but it was difficult to determine where these instructions are coming from, explains Chay Kuo, M.D. Ph.D., an assistant professor of cell biology, neurobiology ...
Hypnosis extends restorative slow-wave sleep
2014-06-02
Sleeping well is a crucial factor contributing to our physical and mental restoration. SWS in particular has a positive impact for instance on memory and the functioning of the immune system. During periods of SWS, growth hormones are secreted, cell repair is promoted and the defence system is stimulated. If you feel sick or have had a hard working day, you often simply want to get some good, deep sleep. A wish that you can't influence through your own will – so the widely held preconception.
Sleep researchers from the Universities of Zurich and Fribourg now prove ...
Poor sleep equal to binge drinking, marijuana use in predicting academic problems
2014-06-02
DARIEN, IL – A new study shows that college students who are poor sleepers are much more likely to earn worse grades and withdraw from a course than healthy sleeping peers.
Results show that sleep timing and maintenance problems in college students are a strong predictor of academic problems even after controlling for other factors that contribute to academic success, such as clinical depression, feeling isolated, and diagnosis with a learning disability or chronic health issue. The study also found that sleep problems have about the same impact on grade point average ...
NUS scientists demonstrate rare chemical phenomenon to harvest solar energy
2014-06-02
A team of international scientists led by Professor Jagadese J Vittal of the Department of Chemistry at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Faculty of Science has successfully unraveled the chemical reaction responsible for propelling microscopic crystals to leap distances up to hundreds of times their own size when they are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light.
This popping effect, akin to the bursting of popcorn kernels at high temperatures, demonstrates the conversion of light into mechanical motion. It is the first instance of a "photosalient effect" driven ...
Half of pregnant women who have hypertension and snore unknowingly have a sleep disorder
2014-06-02
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — 1 in 2 hypertensive pregnant women who habitually snore may have unrecognized obstructive sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder that can reduce blood oxygen levels during the night and that has been linked to serious health conditions, new University of Michigan-led research shows.
One in four hypertensive pregnant women who don't snore also unknowingly suffer from the sleeping disorder, according to the study that appears in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
"We know that habitual snoring is linked with poor pregnancy outcomes for both ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
NASA Goddard Lidar team receives Center Innovation Award for Advancements
Can AI improve plant-based meats?
How microbes create the most toxic form of mercury
‘Walk this Way’: FSU researchers’ model explains how ants create trails to multiple food sources
A new CNIC study describes a mechanism whereby cells respond to mechanical signals from their surroundings
Study uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania
Researchers uncover Achilles heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Scientists uncover earliest evidence of fire use to manage Tasmanian landscape
Interpreting population mean treatment effects in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire
Targeting carbohydrate metabolism in colorectal cancer: Synergy of therapies
Stress makes mice’s memories less specific
Research finds no significant negative impact of repealing a Depression-era law allowing companies to pay workers with disabilities below minimum wage
Resilience index needed to keep us within planet’s ‘safe operating space’
How stress is fundamentally changing our memories
Time in nature benefits children with mental health difficulties: study
In vitro model enables study of age-specific responses to COVID mRNA vaccines
Sitting too long can harm heart health, even for active people
International cancer organizations present collaborative work during oncology event in China
One or many? Exploring the population groups of the largest animal on Earth
ETRI-F&U Credit Information Co., Ltd., opens a new path for AI-based professional consultation
New evidence links gut microbiome to chronic disease outcomes
Family Heart Foundation appoints Dr. Seth Baum as Chairman of the Board of Directors
New route to ‘quantum spin liquid’ materials discovered for first time
Chang’e-6 basalts offer insights on lunar farside volcanism
Chang’e-6 lunar samples reveal 2.83-billion-year-old basalt with depleted mantle source
Zinc deficiency promotes Acinetobacter lung infection: study
How optogenetics can put the brakes on epilepsy seizures
Children exposed to antiseizure meds during pregnancy face neurodevelopmental risks, Drexel study finds
Adding immunotherapy to neoadjuvant chemoradiation may improve outcomes in esophageal cancer
Scientists transform blood into regenerative materials, paving the way for personalized, blood-based, 3D-printed implants
[Press-News.org] Common cholesterol drug greatly alters inflammatory response to common coldNew research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that because of their anti-inflammatory properties, future studies should examine the effects of statins specifically on viral-induced asthma exacerbations