by Playfuls Staff |
31st March 2007
U.S. researchers say they've uncovered the roots of carbon monoxide's anti-inflammatory effects.
The [more] study by Harvard University and the University of Pittsburgh, which appears in the April issue of The FASEB Journal, shows that the anti-inflammatory effects of carbon monoxide originate within the cell's mitochondria.
The researchers say the mitochondria react to low levels of carbon monoxide by releasing chemical signals that reduce or shut down the body's inflammatory response -- raising the possibility for the development of new anti-inflammatory therapies, FASEB said in a release.
The report said inhaled medical grade carbon monoxide has been shown to be useful in animal models in a number of applications, including organ transplantation, vascular injury, inflammatory bowel disease and organ injury resulting from severe blood loss.
© 2007 UPI
