Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Gaseous Therapies for Severe Malaria
Abstract
Over 200 million people worldwide suffer from malaria every year, a disease that causes 584,000 deaths annually. In recent years, significant improvements have been achieved on the treatment of severe malaria, with intravenous artesunate proving superior to quinine. However, mortality remains high, at 8% in children and 15% in adults in clinical trials, and even worse in the case of cerebral malaria (18% and 30%, respectively). Moreover, some individuals who do not succumb to severe malaria present long-term cognitive deficits. These observations indicate that strategies focused only on parasite killing fail to prevent neurological complications and deaths associated with severe malaria, possibly because clinical complications are associated in part with a cerebrovascular dysfunction. Consequently, different adjunctive therapies aimed at modulating malaria pathophysiological processes are currently being tested. However, none of these therapies has shown unequivocal evidence in improving patient clinical status. Recently, key studies have shown that gaseous therapies based mainly on nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hyperbaric (pressurized) oxygen (HBO) alter vascular endothelium dysfunction and modulate the host imm...Continue Reading
References
The heme oxygenase-carbon monoxide system: regulation and role in stress response and organ failure.
Heme oxygenase-1 is an anti-inflammatory host factor that promotes murine plasmodium liver infection
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Antimalarial Agents (ASM)
Antimalarial agents, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Discover the latest research on antimalarial agents here.
Brain Ischemia
Brain ischemia is a condition in which there is insufficient blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand. Discover the latest research on brain ischemia here.
Antianginal Drugs: Mechanisms of Action
Antianginal drugs, including nitrates, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers, are used in the treatment of angina pectoris. Here is the latest research on their use and their mechanism of action.
Antimalarial Agents
Antimalarial agents, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Discover the latest research on antimalarial agents here.