Lung benefits of caffeine therapy in preemies persists into mid-childhood

Date: July 14, 2017 Source: American Thoracic Society (ATS) Summary: Premature babies treated with caffeine have better lung function in mid-childhood than preemies not treated with caffeine, according to a randomized controlled trial.

Premature babies treated with caffeine have better lung function in mid-childhood than preemies not treated with caffeine, according to a randomized controlled trial published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

"Previous studies have shown that caffeine, which belongs to a group of drugs known as methylxanthines, reduces apnea of prematurity, a condition in which the baby stops breathing for many seconds," said lead study author Lex W. Doyle, MD, professor of neonatal pediatrics at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne and head of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council's Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine.

Dr. Doyle added that caffeine, one of the most widely used drugs in neonatal intensive care, shortens the time premature infants require help breathing after birth. It also reduces the chances that the newborn will develop lung injury or abnormal lung development, a condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which can lead to higher rates of breathing problems later in life.

In "Neonatal Caffeine Treatment and Respiratory Function at 11 Years in Children," Dr. Doyle and colleagues report on their study to determine if the lung benefits of caffeine in premature babies persist in mid-childhood.

At age 11, 142 children living in Australia who had been part of the international Caffeine for Apnea of Prematurity randomized controlled trial had their expiratory flow rates measured. Slightly more than half the children had been enrolled in the caffeine intervention; the others had been given a placebo.

The researchers found expiratory flows were significantly better in the caffeine group by approximately one-half a standard deviation for FEV1 (the maximum amount of air that can be forcefully blown out in one second), FVC (the amount of air that can be forcibly exhaled after taking the deepest breath possible) and FEF25-75% (the average flow from the point at which 25 percent of the FVC has been exhaled to the point at which 75 percent of the FVC has been exhaled.) FEV1/FVC (a measure of obstructive lung disease) was better by a lesser amount but still statistically significant.

The researchers said that caffeine appeared to improve long-term breathing by reducing lung injury and abnormal development during the newborn period, "rather than the caffeine molecule having any direct effect on the lung itself."

Study limitations include the fact that respiratory function tests measured only expiratory flows and the children were from only one of the Caffeine for the Apnea of Prematurity trial sites.

"It would be desirable to repeat lung function more extensively later in life, and at more sites to identify those participants at highest risk of developing severe breathing disorders in adulthood," Dr. Doyle said. "If it were possible to repeat lung function at one time only, the best time would be around age 25, when lung growth peaks."

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Materials provided by American Thoracic Society (ATS). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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American Thoracic Society (ATS). "Lung benefits of caffeine therapy in preemies persists into mid-childhood." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 July 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170714072216.htm>.

Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids

Date: July 18, 2017 Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Summary: Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits - but without the psychotropic high.

Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits -- but without the psychotropic high.

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Foods such as meat, eggs, fish and nuts contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the body converts into endocannabinoids -- cannabinoids that the body produces naturally, said Aditi Das, a University of Illinois professor of comparative biosciences and biochemistry, who led the study. Cannabinoids in marijuana and endocannabinoids produced in the body can support the body's immune system and therefore are attractive targets for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics, she said.

In 1964, the Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam was the first to discover and isolate THC from marijuana. To test whether he had found the compound that produces euphoria, he dosed cake slices with 10 milligrams of pure THC and gave them to willing friends at a party. Their reactions, from nonstop laughter, to lethargy, to talkativeness, confirmed that THC was a psychotropic cannabinoid.

It wasn't until 1992 that researchers discovered endocannabinoids produced naturally in the body. Since then, several other endocannabinoids have been identified, but not all have known functions.

Cannabinoids bind to two types of cannabinoid receptors in the body -- one that is found predominantly in the nervous system and one in the immune system, Das said.

"Some cannabinoids, such as THC in marijuana or endocannabinoids can bind to these receptors and elicit anti-inflammatory and anti-pain action," she said.

"Our team discovered an enzymatic pathway that converts omega-3-derived endocannabinoids into more potent anti-inflammatory molecules that predominantly bind to the receptors found in the immune system," Das said. "This finding demonstrates how omega-3 fatty acids can produce some of the same medicinal qualities as marijuana, but without a psychotropic effect."

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Materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Original written by Steph Adams. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Daniel R. McDougle, Josephine E. Watson, Amr A. Abdeen, Reheman Adili, Megan P. Caputo, John E. Krapf, Rodney W. Johnson, Kristopher A. Kilian, Michael Holinstat, Aditi Das. Anti-inflammatory ω-3 endocannabinoid epoxides. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201610325 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610325114

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 July 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170718142909.htm>.