What is the impact of e-cigarette adverts on children's perceptions of tobacco smoking? An experimental study

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to e-cigarette adverts increases children's positive attitudes towards using them. Given the similarity in appearance between e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes, we examined whether exposure to e-cigarette adverts has a cross-product impact on perceptions and attitudes towards smoking tobacco cigarettes.

METHODS

Children aged 11-16 (n=564) were interviewed in their homes and randomised to one of three groups: two groups saw different sets of 10 images of e-cigarette adverts and one group saw no adverts. Of the 20 e-cigarette adverts, 10 depicted the product as glamorous and 10 depicted it as healthy. The children then self-completed a questionnaire assessing perceived appeal, harms and benefits of smoking tobacco cigarettes.

RESULTS

The analyses were conducted on 411 children who reported never having smoked tobacco cigarettes or used e-cigarettes. Exposure to the adverts had no impact on the appeal or perceived benefits of smoking tobacco cigarettes. While the perceived harm of smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day was similar across groups, those exposed to either set of adverts perceived the harms of smoking one or two tobacco cigarettes occasionally to be lower than those in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first evidence that exposure to e-cigarette adverts might influence children's perceptions of smoking tobacco cigarettes, reducing their perceived harm of occasional smoking. These results suggest the potential for e-cigarette adverts to undermine tobacco control efforts by reducing a potential barrier (ie, beliefs about harm) to occasional smoking.

Targeting Common Inflammatory Mediators in Experimental Severe Asthma and Acute Lung Injury

Neutrophils, known to be mobilized and activated in high amounts through Il-17 stimulation, are a key factor for clinical manifestation and imbalance of redox systems favoring a dominant oxidative state in both severe asthma and acute lung injury (f). The aim of this study was to evaluate in mice, the effect of Secukinumab (SECU) in a model of ovalbumin-induced asthma exacerbated with LPS administration to induce ALI, compared to dexamethasone (DEXA), already known for its benefit in both asthma and ALI. Results on cytokine levels for specific Th1, Th2 and Th17 revealed an interplay of immune responses. For Th1 effector cytokines in BALF, DEXA treatment increased TNF-α levels, but TNF-α was not modified by SECU; DEXA and SECU significantly decreased IFN-γ and IL-6 levels. For typical Th2 cytokines, DEXA significantly increased Il-4, Il-5 and Il-13 levels, while SECU significantly inhibited Il-5 levels. Both SECU and DEXA significantly decreased Il-17 levels. Cytokine level changes in lung tissue homogenate were partly similar to BALF cytokines. Conclusion: in addition to DEXA, SECU possesses the ability to modulate inflammatory cytokine release and to decrease Th17 responses in ALI overlapped on exacerbated asthma in mice.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF ERYTHROMYCIN IN DERMO-PREPARATIONS

PURPOSE

For the analysis of erythromycin (ER) in topical pharmaceutical forms we developed a high performance liquid chromatography dosage method (HPLC) greatly improved over the method formalized by the European Pharmacopoeia 5th ed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The work conditions for using a chromatography column with C18 stationary phase were established as follows: optimal column temperature, 45 degrees C; the mobile phase consisted of a mixture of 0.001 M disodium phosphate solution : acetonitrile in the ratio 20:80, volume of sample injected 20 μL, injection rate 1 mL/min and spectrum was recorded at λ = 200 nm. The method was validated by determining the following parameters: system precision, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ) and accuracy.

RESULTS

We determined linearity in the concentration range studied, 0.025 to 1.5 mg/mL. The equation of the regression line is: A = 53.7430 x C + 0.00203 with a regression coefficient of 0.9997. The method has LOQ = 0.0196 mg/mL and LOD = 0.005969. The accuracy of the method is appropriate, the ER recovery degree is in the range of 101.27 - 104.99%.

CONCLUSIONS

The HPLC method with UV detection for the quantitative determination of ER is manageable, responsive, linear, precise and accurate and it can be used for the quantitative analysis of ER in topical pharmaceutical formulations. UV DETECTION.

Experimental Insights on the Use of Secukinumab and Magnolol in Acute Respiratory Diseases in Mice

This study investigates the combined treatment of secukinumab (SECU) and magnolol (MAGN) in a mouse model of LPS-induced ALI overlapped with allergic pulmonary inflammation, aiming to better understand the mechanism behind this pathology and to assess the therapeutic potential of this novel approach in addressing the severity of ALI. The combined treatment reveals intricate immunomodulatory effects. Both treatments inhibit IL-17 and promote M2 macrophage polarization, which enhances anti-inflammatory cytokine production such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13, crucial for lung repair and inflammation resolution. However, the combination treatment exacerbates allergic responses and increases OVA-specific IgE, potentially worsening ALI outcomes. MAGN pretreatment alone demonstrates higher potency in reducing neutrophils and enhancing IFN-γ, suggesting its potential in mitigating severe asthma symptoms and modulating immune responses. The study highlights the need for careful consideration in therapeutic applications due to the combination treatment's inability to reduce IL-6 and its potential to exacerbate allergic inflammation. Elevated IL-6 levels correlate with worsened oxygenation and increased mortality in ALI patients, underscoring its critical role in disease severity. These findings offer valuable insights for the advancement of precision medicine within the realm of respiratory illnesses, emphasizing the importance of tailored therapeutic strategies.