Supplemental Fibrinogen Restores Platelet Inhibitor-Induced Reduction in Thrombus Formation without Altering Platelet Function: An In Vitro Study.

Background:  For patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy, standardized drug-specific 3-to-7 day cessation is recommended prior to major surgery to reach sufficient platelet function recovery. Here we investigated the hypothesis that supplemental fibrinogen might mitigate the inhibitory effects of antiplatelet therapy.

Methods And Results:  To this end blood from healthy donors was treated in vitro with platelet inhibitors, and in vitro thrombus formation and platelet activation were assessed.

Inhibiting eicosanoid degradation exerts antifibrotic effects in a pulmonary fibrosis mouse model and human tissue.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease with high 5-year mortality and few therapeutic options. Prostaglandin (PG) E exhibits antifibrotic properties and is reduced in bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with IPF. 15-Prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is the key enzyme in PGE metabolism under the control of TGF-β and microRNA 218.

Butyrate ameliorates allergic airway inflammation by limiting eosinophil trafficking and survival.

Background: Lung eosinophilia is a hallmark of asthma, and eosinophils are believed to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammatory diseases. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, are produced in high amounts in the gastrointestinal tract by commensal bacteria and can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Although there is recent evidence that SCFAs are beneficial in allergic asthma models, the effect on eosinophils has remained elusive.