Deadly Gas Treats Disease
Reported June 02, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) Inhaling a dangerous gas could treat a common diabetic condition.
Carbon monoxide inhalation can lead to brain damage or death. But in a recent study, researchers report inhaling very low doses of the gas reversed gastroparesis, delayed stomach emptying. The painful condition is a common complication for many diabetic patients, causing pain, nausea, vomiting, stomach spasms, weight loss and difficulty maintaining a proper blood glucose level.
Diabetic mice with the gastric condition were exposed to carbon monoxide (100 parts per million) for six hours daily. Within three weeks, gastroparesis was reversed and oxidative stress decreased.
“This is a significant finding, as it shows that loss of the enzyme that makes carbon monoxide is the actor in this process and that it provides us with a clear approach toward a possible new therapy for this condition,” Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead investigator on the study, was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: Presented at Digestive Disease Week in Chicago, June 1, 2009.