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American Family Physician Jul 2012The common cold, or upper respiratory tract infection, is one of the leading reasons for physician visits. Generally caused by viruses, the common cold is treated... (Review)
Review
The common cold, or upper respiratory tract infection, is one of the leading reasons for physician visits. Generally caused by viruses, the common cold is treated symptomatically. Antibiotics are not effective in children or adults. In children, there is a potential for harm and no benefits with over-the-counter cough and cold medications; therefore, they should not be used in children younger than four years. Other commonly used medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids, oral prednisolone, and Echinacea, also are ineffective in children. Products that improve symptoms in children include vapor rub, zinc sulfate, Pelargonium sidoides (geranium) extract, and buckwheat honey. Prophylactic probiotics, zinc sulfate, nasal saline irrigation, and the herbal preparation Chizukit reduce the incidence of colds in children. For adults, antihistamines, intranasal corticosteroids, codeine, nasal saline irrigation, Echinacea angustifolia preparations, and steam inhalation are ineffective at relieving cold symptoms. Pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, inhaled ipratropium, and zinc (acetate or gluconate) modestly reduce the severity and duration of symptoms for adults. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and some herbal preparations, including Echinacea purpurea, improve symptoms in adults. Prophylactic use of garlic may decrease the frequency of colds in adults, but has no effect on duration of symptoms. Hand hygiene reduces the spread of viruses that cause cold illnesses. Prophylactic vitamin C modestly reduces cold symptom duration in adults and children.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Antitussive Agents; Child; Cholinergic Antagonists; Common Cold; Complementary Therapies; Expectorants; Histamine Antagonists; Humans; Nasal Decongestants; Nasal Lavage; Nonprescription Drugs
PubMed: 22962927
DOI: No ID Found -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) 2022Objective This study aimed to determine the prevalence and endoscopic features of zinc acetate dihydrate tablet-associated gastric lesions. Methods We retrospectively...
Objective This study aimed to determine the prevalence and endoscopic features of zinc acetate dihydrate tablet-associated gastric lesions. Methods We retrospectively examined the endoscopic features of 47 patients taking zinc acetate dihydrate tablets who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Results Gastric mucosal alterations, including redness, erosions, ulcers, and adhesion of the white coat, were observed in 29 of 47 patients (61.7%). Among patients with gastric lesions (group A), there was a significantly higher percentage of symptomatic patients in comparison to patients without lesions (group B) (65.5% vs. 22.2%; p<0.01). The background characteristics of the two groups did not differ to a statistically significant extent. On esophagogastroduodenoscopy, mucosal redness (n=27, 93.1%), erosions (n=26, 90.0%), adhesion of the white coat (n=25, 86.2%), and ulcers (n=9, 31.0%) were observed. None of the 19 patients who previously underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy had gastric lesions before starting zinc acetate dihydrate. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed after the cessation of zinc acetate dihydrate intake in six patients, and revealed the resolution of gastric lesions. Conclusion Gastric lesions were observed in 29 of 47 patients who were taking zinc acetate dihydrate tablets. The most common endoscopic findings were mucosal redness (93.1%), erosions (90.0%), adhesion of the white coat (86.2%), and ulcers (31.0%). Although the exact pathogenesis is uncertain, we believe that understanding the unique manifestations of this gastric lesion will help physicians manage adverse events in patients taking zinc acetate dihydrate tablets.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Stomach Diseases; Tablets; Ulcer; Zinc Acetate
PubMed: 35781269
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.8625-21 -
Nutrients Nov 2022Zinc is an essential trace element for the maintenance of life because it acts as a center of activity or cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. Zinc deficiency causes a... (Review)
Review
Zinc is an essential trace element for the maintenance of life because it acts as a center of activity or cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. Zinc deficiency causes a variety of symptoms, including anemia, dermatitis, stomatitis, alopecia, bedsores, decreased appetite, impaired growth, gonadal dysfunction, susceptibility to infection, and taste disorders, etc. In March 2017, zinc acetate hydrate, which had been approved for Wilson disease in Japan, received an additional indication for hypozincemia. Hypozincemia is frequently observed in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), especially cirrhosis, and it has recently been shown that hypozincemia is closely related to the development of liver fibrosis and increased risk of liver carcinogenesis, in addition to the appearance of various subjective symptoms. Moreover, hypozincemia in CLD may be associated with sarcopenia (i.e., decrease in muscle strength and muscle mass) and frailty (i.e., vulnerability), which receive much attention these days. It is assumed that treatment with zinc acetate hydrate will become widespread in patients with CLD. Zinc acetate hydrate may also have potential for improving sarcopenia in patients with CLD. This review primarily outlines the significance of zinc in patients with CLD.
Topics: Humans; Zinc; Zinc Acetate; Sarcopenia; Liver Diseases; Liver Cirrhosis
PubMed: 36432541
DOI: 10.3390/nu14224855 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Dec 2021Hepatic overload of gut-derived lipopolysaccharide dictates the progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) by inducing oxidative stress and activating Kupffer cells...
BACKGROUND
Hepatic overload of gut-derived lipopolysaccharide dictates the progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) by inducing oxidative stress and activating Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells through toll-like receptor 4 signaling. Therefore, targeting the maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity has attracted attention for the treatment of ALD. Zinc acetate and rifaximin, which is a nonabsorbable antibiotic, had been clinically used for patients with cirrhosis, particularly those with hepatic encephalopathy, and had been known to improve intestinal barrier dysfunction. However, only few studies focused on their efficacies in preventing the ALD-related fibrosis development.
AIM
To investigate the effects of a combined zinc acetate with rifaximin on liver fibrosis in a mouse ALD model.
METHODS
To induce ALD-related liver fibrosis, female C57BL/6J mice were fed a 2.5% (v/v) ethanol-containing Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet and received intraperitoneal carbon tetrachloride (CCl) injection twice weekly (1 mL/kg) for 8 wk. Zinc acetate (100 mg/L) and/or rifaximin (100 mg/L) were orally administered during experimental period. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis as well as intestinal barrier function were evaluated by histological and molecular analyses. Moreover, the direct effects of both agents on Caco-2 barrier function were assessed by assays.
RESULTS
In the ethanol plus CCl-treated mice, combination of zinc acetate and rifaximin attenuated oxidative lipid peroxidation with downregulation of and . This combination significantly inhibited the Kupffer cells expansion and the proinflammatory response with blunted hepatic exposure of lipopolysaccharide and the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kB pathway. Consequently, liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cells activation were efficiently suppressed with downregulation of . Both agents improved the atrophic changes and permeability in the ileum, with restoration of tight junction proteins (TJPs) by decreasing the expressions of tumor necrosis factor α and myosin light chain kinase. In the assay, both agents directly reinforced ethanol or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated paracellular permeability and upregulated TJPs in Caco-2 cells.
CONCLUSION
Dual therapy with zinc acetate and rifaximin may serve as a strategy to prevent ALD-related fibrosis by maintaining intestinal barrier integrity.
Topics: Animals; Caco-2 Cells; Ethanol; Female; Humans; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Rifaximin; Zinc Acetate
PubMed: 35068872
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i48.8323 -
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2022We aimed to determine the efficacy of zinc acetate hydrate (ZAH) treatment for hypozincemia in elderly inpatients and to identify the factors affecting its therapeutic...
We aimed to determine the efficacy of zinc acetate hydrate (ZAH) treatment for hypozincemia in elderly inpatients and to identify the factors affecting its therapeutic effect. We enrolled 79 patients with a mean age of 82 years. The mean serum zinc level before ZAH administration was 53.4 ± 11.5 µg/dL. More than half of the patients (67%) had zinc deficiency (<60 µg/dL), whereas 33% had subclinical zinc deficiency (60-80 µg/dL). The median increase in serum zinc level per ZAH tablet (25 mg) was 1.00 µg/dL. Based on the cutoff value, two groups were identified: slight increase (<1.00 µg/dL) and marked increase (≥1.00 µg/dL) groups; the difference between the two groups was significant (0.57 ± 0.22 µg/dL, n = 39 vs. 1.68 ± 0.70 µg /dL, n = 40; p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon rank sum test). Logistic regression analysis using total zinc dose, serum albumin level, impaired renal function, and diuretics as multivariate variables revealed a significant difference in total zinc dose (total number of tablets per 25 mg tablet: odds ratio 1.056, 95% confidence interval 1.019-1.095, p = 0.003). A significant increase in serum zinc levels was observed in the group with a total zinc dose of less than 1000 mg. The results suggest that an increasing trend in total zinc dose is associated with a low increase in serum zinc levels. Therefore, for the treatment of zinc deficiency in elderly inpatients, serum zinc levels need to be measured once, at a total dose of 1000 mg after initiation of ZAH.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Hormone Replacement Therapy; Humans; Inpatients; Malnutrition; Zinc; Zinc Acetate
PubMed: 36047199
DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b22-00273 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2019Zinc is one of the most important essential trace elements. It is involved in more than 300 enzyme systems and is an indispensable participant in many biochemical... (Review)
Review
Zinc is one of the most important essential trace elements. It is involved in more than 300 enzyme systems and is an indispensable participant in many biochemical processes. Zinc deficiency causes a number of disorders in the human body, the main ones being the delay of growth and puberty, immune disorders, and cognitive dysfunctions. There are over two billion people in the world suffering from zinc deficiency conditions. Acyzol, a zinc-containing medicine, developed as an antidote against carbon monoxide poisoning, demonstrates a wide range of pharmacological activities: Anti-inflammatory, reparative, detoxifying, immunomodulatory, bacteriostatic, hepatoprotective, adaptogenic, antioxidant, antihypoxic, and cardioprotective. The presence of zinc in the composition of Acyzol suggests the potential of the drug in the treatment and prevention of zinc deficiency conditions, such as Prasad's disease, immune system pathology, alopecia, allergodermatoses, prostate dysfunction, psoriasis, stomatitis, periodontitis, and delayed mental and physical development in children. Currently, the efficiency of Acyzol in the cases of zinc deficiency is shown in a large number of experimental studies. So, Acyzol can be used as a highly effective drug for pharmacologic therapy of a wide range of diseases and conditions and it opens up new perspectives in the treatment and prevention of zinc deficiency conditions.
Topics: Animals; Clinical Studies as Topic; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Humans; Imidazoles; Mice; Nutrition Disorders; Trace Elements; Treatment Outcome; Zinc; Zinc Acetate
PubMed: 31035445
DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092104 -
ERJ Open Research Mar 2023Cough is the most reported symptom in the United States, with chronic refractory cough representing significant morbidity to patients. Zinc acetate may have beneficial...
BACKGROUND
Cough is the most reported symptom in the United States, with chronic refractory cough representing significant morbidity to patients. Zinc acetate may have beneficial effects in the cough reflex pathway. We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of zinc acetate in the management of chronic refractory cough.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
This was a randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-design pilot trial of individuals with chronic refractory cough. The effects of 6 weeks of zinc acetate placebo on quality of life and symptoms as measured by the Cough Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (CQLQ), Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), cough visual analogue score (C-VAS) and Global Assessment of Change in Cough (GACC) scores were evaluated. A futility analysis plan with a one-sided 80% confidence interval was used to compare treatment effect to published minimum clinically important differences (MCID) for each outcome.
RESULTS
34 participants, 17 in each group, were enrolled and randomised. Participants were primarily white females with moderate-severe cough. Participants assigned to zinc acetate had a significant increase in serum zinc levels after 6 weeks, while those assigned to placebo did not. Both groups showed improvement in CQLQ, LCQ, C-VAS and GACC scores, but the treatment effects of zinc acetate placebo were small with confidence intervals that did not include the MCIDs.
INTERPRETATION
We observed no benefit of zinc therapy over placebo on cough symptoms or quality of life and conclude that larger trials of zinc for chronic cough are not warranted.
PubMed: 37057088
DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00678-2022 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2022The synthesis of ZnO comprising different ratios of zinc acetate (ZA) and zinc nitrate (ZN) from the respective zinc precursor solutions was successfully completed via a...
The synthesis of ZnO comprising different ratios of zinc acetate (ZA) and zinc nitrate (ZN) from the respective zinc precursor solutions was successfully completed via a simple precipitation method. Zinc oxide powders with different mole ratios of ZA/ZN were produced-80/1, 40/1, and 20/1. The crystallinity, microstructure, and optical properties of all produced ZnO powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometry. The average agglomerated particle sizes of ZnO-80/1, ZnO-40/1, and ZnO-20/1 were measured at 655, 640, and 620 nm, respectively, using dynamic light scattering (DLS). The optical properties of ZnO were significantly affected by the extreme ratio differences in the zinc precursors. ZnO-80/1 was found to have a unique coral-sheet structure morphology, which resulted in its superior ability to reflect near-infrared (NIR) radiation compared to ZnO-40/1 and ZnO-20/1. The NIR-shielding performances of ZnO were assessed using a thermal insulation test, where coating with ZnO-80/1 could lower the inner temperature by 5.2 °C compared with the neat glass substrate. Due to the synergistic effects on morphology, ZnO-80/1 exhibited the property of enhanced NIR shielding in curtailing the internal building temperature, which allows for its utilization as an NIR-reflective pigment coating in the construction of building envelopes.
PubMed: 35057288
DOI: 10.3390/ma15020570 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Apr 2024Several features of drug-induced mucosal alterations have been observed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. These include... (Review)
Review
Several features of drug-induced mucosal alterations have been observed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. These include pill-induced esophagitis, desquamative esophagitis, worsening of gastroesophageal reflux, chemotherapy-induced esophagitis, proton pump inhibitor-induced gastric mucosal changes, medication-induced gastric erosions and ulcers, pseudomelanosis of the stomach, olmesartan-related gastric mucosal inflammation, lanthanum deposition in the stomach, zinc acetate hydrate tablet-induced gastric ulcer, immune-related adverse event gastritis, olmesartan-asso-ciated sprue-like enteropathy, pseudomelanosis of the duodenum, and lanthanum deposition in the duodenum. For endoscopists, acquiring accurate knowledge regarding these diverse drug-induced mucosal alterations is crucial not only for the correct diagnosis of these lesions but also for differential diag-nosis of other conditions. This minireview aims to provide essential information on drug-induced mucosal alterations observed on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, along with representative endoscopic images.
Topics: Humans; Endoscopy, Digestive System; Gastric Mucosa; Intestinal Mucosa; Proton Pump Inhibitors; Esophageal Mucosa
PubMed: 38690017
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i16.2220