Probiotic or Proinflammatory?

Many patients self prescribe probiotics to enhance immune function. This can cause negative effects in people with autoimmune diseases. 

Dendritic cells (DC) play a pivotal regulatory role in activation of both the innate as well as the adaptive immune system by responding to environmental microorganisms. We have previously shown that Lactobacillus acidophilus induces a strong production of the pro-inflammatory and Th1 polarizing cytokine IL-12 in DC, whereas bifidobacteria do not induce IL-12 but inhibit the IL-12 production induced by lactobacilli. In the present study, genome-wide microarrays were used  to investigate the gene expression pattern of murine DC stimulated with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium bifidum Z9. L. acidophilus NCFM strongly induced expression of interferon (IFN)-beta, other virus defence genes, and cytokine and chemokine genes related to the innate and the adaptive immune response. By contrast, B. bifidum Z9 up-regulated genes encoding cytokines and chemokines related to the innate immune response. Moreover, B. bifidum Z9 inhibited the expression of the Th1-promoting genes induced by L. acidophilus NCFM and had an additive effect on genes of the innate immune response and Th2

skewing genes. The gene encoding Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2), a transcription factor regulating the activation of JNK, was one of the few genes only induced by B. bifidum Z9. Neutralization of IFN-beta abrogated L. acidophilus NCFM-induced expression of Th1-skewing genes, and blocking of the JNK pathway completely inhibited the expression of IFN-beta. Our results indicate that B. bifidum Z9 actively inhibits the expression of genes related to the adaptive immune system in murine dendritic cells and that JPD2 via blocking of IFN-beta plays a central role in this regulatory mechanism.  

PMCID: PMC2883554

PLoS One. 2010 Jun 10;5(6):e11065. Bifidobacterium bifidum actively changes the gene expression profile induced by Lactobacillus acidophilus in murine dendritic cells. Weiss G, Rasmussen S, Nielsen Fink L, Jarmer H, Nøhr Nielsen B, Frøkiaer H. Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

Acupuncture and Acupressure Reduce Pain During Labor and Childbirth

From Vitasearch. Summary 48783.

CHILDBIRTH, LABOR, DELIVERY, PAIN MANAGEMENT, PREGNANCY -Acupuncture, Acupressure, Chinese Medicine, Epidural

Reference - “Acupuncture or acupressure for pain management in labour,” Smith CA, Collins CT, et al, Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2011 July 6; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, New South Wales, Australia, 2751).

In a systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of acupuncture and acupressure versus placebo in the management of pain during labor, results from 13 trials which included data from 1986 women were analyzed, and results found acupuncture to be associated with a) less intense pain; b) greater satisfaction with pain relief (RR=2.38); c) reduced use of pharmacological analgesia (RR=0.72); and d) fewer instrumental deliveries (RR=0.67). Acupressure was associated with reductions in pain intensity. The authors conclude, “Acupuncture and acupressure may have a role with reducing pain, increasing satisfaction with pain management and reduced use of pharmacological management.” Additional research is warranted.

Acupuncture in the Management of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

From Vitasearch. Summary 48798.

NAUSEA, VOMITING, POSTOPERATIVE, PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH, CESAREAN SECTION DELIVERY - Acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Childbirth, Ondansetron

Reference – “Effect of acupuncture on nausea and/or vomiting during and after cesarean section in comparison with ondansetron,” El-Deeb AM, Ahmady MS, J Anesth, 2011 July 15; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. E-mail: alaaeldeep9@hotmail.com ).

In a study involving 450 pregnant women scheduled for elective cesarean section delivery, treatment with acupuncture (with electrical stimulation on the acupuncture point PC-6, bilaterally) for 30 minutes prior to spinal anesthesia was found to be as effective as treatment with the anti-emetic drug, ondansetron (4 mg), in reducing nausea and vomiting during the operation and 6 hours post-operatively. The authors state, “Electrical acustimulation is comparable to ondansetron in prevention of PONV during and after cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia and in improving patient satisfaction.”

Acupuncture Effective in Treating Amblyopia (“Lazy Eye”) in Children

From Vitasearch. Summary 48803.

LAZY EYE, ANISOMETROPIC AMBLYOPIA - Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Traditional East Asian Medicine, Patching

Reference - “Randomized controlled trial of patching vs acupuncture for anisometropic amblyopia in children aged 7 to 12 years,” Zhao J, Lam DS, et al, Arch Opthalmol, 2010 Dec; 128(12): 1510-7. (Address: Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China).

In a single-center, randomized, controlled trial involving 88 children between the ages of 7 and 12 years, with anisometropic amblyopia (“lazy eye”) who had been wearing optimal spectacles for at least 16 weeks, and who had a best spectacle-corrected visual acuity of 0.3 to 0.8 logMAR at baseline, treatment with acupuncture (5 treatments/week) was found to be associated with significantly greater improvement in mean BSCVA of the amblyopic eye at 15 weeks (2.27 lines improvement from baseline), as compared to treatment consisting of 2 hours/day patching the sound eye (1.83 lines improvement from baseline). Moreover, amblyopia was resolved in 17 children in the acupuncture group (41.5%) and only 7 (16.7%) in the patching group. The authors conclude, “Acupuncture produced equivalent treatment effect for anisometropic amblyopia, compared with patching, and was statistically superior…..Acupuncture could potentially become an alternative treatment to occlusion th erapy for amblyopia.”

Acupuncture Effective in the Treatment of Amblyopia

From Vitasearch. Summary 48813.

AMBLYOPIA, LAZY EYE - Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine

Reference – “Adjunctive Effect of Acupuncture to Refractive Correction on Anisometropic Amblyopia One-Year Results of a Randomized Crossover Trial,” Lam DS, Zhao J, et al, Ophthalmology, 2011 April 2; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong).

In a prospective, randomized, controlled, crossover trial involving 83 children aged 3 to less than 7 years with untreated anisometropic amblyopia (with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/40 to 20/200 in the amblyopic eye), treatment with acupuncture for a period of 15 weeks, added to treatment with spectacles, was found to be significantly more effective than treatment with spectacles alone. BCVA was measured at baseline and every 5 weeks for 45 weeks followed by a final reading at 60 weeks. Results found that children who received acupuncture had greater improvement in BCVA, as compared to those treated with spectacles alone. The authors state, “Acupuncture is a potentially useful complementary treatment modality that may provide sustainable adjunctive effect to refractive correction for anisometropic amblyopia in young children. Further large-scale studies seem warranted.”

Acupuncture in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in HIV Patients on HAART

From Vitasearch. Summary 48769.

GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS, HIV - Acupuncture

Reference - “Acupuncture and the relaxation response for treating gastrointestinal symptoms in HIV patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy,” Chang BH, Sommers E, et al, Acupunct Med, 2011 June 24; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Boston Health Care System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA).

In a 4-arm, 2×2, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial involving 115 subjects with HIV/AIDS who were on highly active retroviral therapy (HAART) and had persistent gastrointestinal symptoms, treatment with acupuncture, twice/week, was found to significantly reduce nausea and improve the symptom of loose stools in this population. The authors state, “Our trial provided preliminary data demonstrating the potential synergistic effects of acupuncture and RR for treating GI symptoms in HIV patients on HAART.”

 

Acupuncture Benefits Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

From Vitasearch. Summary 48774.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS - Acupuncture

Reference - “Effect of electro-acupuncture on tumor necrosis factor-alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in peripheral blood and joint synovia of patients with rheumatoid arthritis,” Ouyang BS, Gao J, et al, Chin J Integr Med, 2011 July; 17(7): 505-9. (Address: Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215003, China. E-mail: oybasi@163.com ).

In a study involving 63 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, treatment with acupuncture (electroacupuncture) at points on channels associated with the areas of pain, received every other day for 3 courses of 10 treatments each was found to significantly reduce levels of TNF-alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in the blood and synovial fluid in the affected joints. Treatment with acupuncture without additional electrical stimulation on the needles was found to lower both TNF-alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor, but the decrease in VEGF was more significant after the electroacupuncture treatment. These results suggest that treatment with acupuncture may benefit patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Additional research is warranted.