Clinical efficacy of herbal Padmapatradi yoga in bronchial asthma (Tamaka Swasa)

Acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma with infective focus treated with holistic Ayurveda approach: A case report

While there are numerous published clinical trials investigating the efficacy of Ayurveda in managing bronchial asthma, a paucity of published case reports, case series, or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning Basti (medicated enema) therapy in conjunction with Dhumapana (fumigation therapy) exists on PubMed.This scarcity of data hinders the comprehensive evaluation of this specific Ayurvedic approach for asthma management. A 69-year-old female patient with a known case of bronchial asthma and hypertension presented with complaints of breathlessness on and off for 3 years, cough, urgency of micturition, constipation for 7 days, and fever for 3 days. The patient was treated according to the treatment principles of Tamakshwas (bronchial asthma) and Jwara (fever). Basti, Dhumapana, and oral Ayurvedic formulations were administered. Significant improvements in symptoms, the mMRC dyspnea scale, and the pulmonary function test were observed. This case provides new insight into clinical diagnosis and management through gut modulation in respiratory diseases and vice versa.

Dry powder inhalation, part 1: ancient history and precursors to modern dry powder inhalers

INTRODUCTION

Inhalation of herbs and other compounds has a long history but habits for medical treatment are intertwined with rituals to obtain hallucinatory effects and pleasurable sensations. Several examples of inhaled herbs, and the diseases they were used for, based on early translations of ancient manuscripts related to inhalation were found to be speculative and inconsistent with each other in literature. They needed to be reconsidered and verified with the original sources of information.

AREAS COVERED

Examples of ancient inhalation and the development of early dry powder inhalers up to and including the first half of the twentieth century. Databases used for literature about historic events, ancient habits, and ancient science, included SmartCat, JSTOR, and ANDAT; various facts were verified via personal communication with historians and custodians of historic manuscripts and artifacts.

EXPERT OPINION

Inhalation does not necessarily require active creation of inhalable aerosols, smokes or fumes. Inhaling 'healthy air' with volatile and gaseous components, or fine aerosols in pine forests, on volcano slopes and at the seaside must be considered as inhalation therapy too. From this viewpoint, inhalation therapy may have been much more common and widespread and have a longer history than is currently known from written evidence.

Manangement Of Certain Respiratory Disorders Through Ayurveda: A Systematic Review Of Clinical Studies Published In Ayurveda Journal

Background:

Respiratory diseases like Asthma, Tuberculosis, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases) in the developing world are a major health burden in terms of morbidity and mortality in both adults and children. A number of studies on treating respiratory disorders using Ayurveda formulations and its managements have been found in Ayurveda Journals with promising results, but an evidence based systematic review of them is not available.

Objective:

To conduct systematic review on the management of certain respiratory disorders through Ayurveda.

Methods:

To conduct this study, Ayurveda research articles were obtained from PubMed, Google Scholar. Total 51 Clinical studies were yielded which underwent further screening process to achieve the quality of inclusion criteria.

Result:

24 articles were selected from six different publications for the review. In general, the quality of few selected articles was low. Of the 24 articles identified, 3 studies (n = 24) exclusively focused on Shodhana Karma (Vamana Virechana), 3 studies (n = 24) focused on the concept of Shodhana and Shamana Chikitsa, 4 studies (n = 24) focused on Ayurvedic formulations as adjuvants, 1 study (n = 24) focused on Shamana Chikitsa along with Pranayama, 13 studies (n = 24) focused only on Shamana Chikitsa. All the above treatment modalities showed significant results on major symptoms of respiratory disorders.

Conclusion:

This systematic review on different types of Ayurvedic management for treating respiratory disorders proves to be beneficial to understand the importance of Virechana Karma in Tamaka Swasa, effectiveness of Shamana Chikitsa after Shodhana Karma in Pratishaya and Tamaka Swasa .This review also throws light on the importance of Pranayama along with Shamana Chikitsa, efficacy of Ayurvedic formulations as adjuvant along with allopathic treatments and potency of different Ayurvedic dosage forms for treating certain respiratory disorders.

Role of the TSLP-DC-OX40L pathway in asthma pathogenesis and airway inflammation in mice

This study aimed to explore the effect of the TSLP-DC-OX40L pathway in asthma pathogenesis and airway inflammation in mice. For this, 65 male BALF/c mice were distributed among the control, asthma, immunoglobulin G (IgG) + asthma (IgG, 500 μg/500 μL, intratracheal injection of 50 μL each time), LY294002 (OX40L inhibitor) + asthma (intratracheal injection of 2 mg/kg LY294002), and anti-TSLP + asthma (intratracheal injection of 500 μg/500 μL TSLP antibody, 50 μL each time) groups. ELISA was applied to measure the serum levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), ovalbumin (OVA)-sIgE, interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-13, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ); flow cytometry was employed to detect Treg cells and dendritic cell (DC) and lymphopoiesis. RT-qPCR and Western blot assays were used to measure the levels of TSLP, OX40L, T-bet, GATA-3, NF-κB, p38, and ERK. Treatment with LY294002 and anti-TSLP resulted in increases in the numbers of total cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; total serum levels of IgE, OVA-sIgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13; levels of DC cells; lymphopoiesis; and levels of TSLP, OX40L, GATA-3, NF-κB, p38, and ERK, whereas there were decreases in the levels of IFN-γ and CD4⁺CD25⁺Treg cells; CD4⁺Foxp3⁺Treg cells; and T-bet. The TSLP-DC-OX40L pathway may contribute to asthma pathogenesis and airway inflammation by modulating the levels of CD4⁺CD25⁺Treg cells and inflammatory cytokines.

Integrative medicine in allergy and immunology

Integrative medicine is a relatively new discipline which attempts to combine allopathic medicine with alternative or complementary medicine, to reap the benefits of both forms of medicine in optimizing the care of patients. Integrative medicine concentrates on treating the patient as a whole, both in body and mind. While the scientific method and "evidence-based" clinical research drives the management and treatment of diseases in conventional Western medicine, alternative or complementary medicine is based on unproven yet potentially beneficial techniques that have been developed throughout history, dating back to the ancient cultures in the Middle East, Africa, and China. In spite of the lack of evidence of most alternative medicine techniques, these methodologies have been practiced for centuries with great acceptance in many countries. It is in the Western world, where "modern" medicine is dictated by the scientific method, that the most controversy in the use of these alternative modes of therapy exists. Since the science behind alternative medicine is incomplete or non-existent, it is difficult for those trained in Western medicine to accept or adopt this approach. But perhaps it is the failure of Western medicine to adequately guarantee our well being and good health that have led to the ongoing debate between the medical profession and the general public as to the benefits of these alternative treatments. In one sense, integrative medicine may be a futile attempt to coin a new term in the hope of legitimizing alternative medicine. On the other hand, there is a wealth of historical experience in the use of the techniques. Studies to evaluate the scientific basis behind ancient medical techniques are ongoing, and it is to be expected that the results will neither be uniformly positive nor negative. Of particular interest is the effect of traditional medicine, herbal formulations, and manipulative techniques on the immune system, and its application in the treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases. Studies are being designed or conducted to investigate immune effects of herbal formulations or their components. Herbal plants or medicines may lead to skewing of the Th1/Th2 balance in either direction, thus may offer potential application in the treatment of allergic or autoimmune diseases.