Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

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webslave
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Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by webslave »

In a step that brings IC (also called PBS or BPS) and CPPS (also called CP/CPPS Cat III) closer together, the well-known bugaboo of IC, the nasty mast cell that degranulates and releases pro-inflammatory chemicals, is now identified as important in CPPS too. (Note that any accredited quercetin product inhibits mast cell degranulation)
J Urol. 2012 Apr;187(4):1473-82. Epub 2012 Feb 17.

Role of mast cells in male chronic pelvic pain.

Done JD, Rudick CN, Quick ML, Schaeffer AJ, Thumbikat P.
Department of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.


PURPOSE: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome accounts for 90% of all chronic prostatitis but it has an unknown pathogenesis. We sought to understand the role of mast cells and nerve growth factor in chronic pelvic pain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Expressed prostatic secretions in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome and controls were tested for mast cell tryptase and nerve growth factor. Mast cell number, activation status and nerve growth factor expression were examined in the NOD/ShiLtJ experimental autoimmune prostatitis model and in mast cell deficient KitW-sh/KitW-sh mice. Tactile allodynia was quantified using von Frey filaments as a measure of pelvic pain behavior. Inhibitors of mast cell degranulation, histamine receptor antagonists and anti-nerve growth factor neutralizing antibodies were tested to decrease pelvic pain behavior.

RESULTS: Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome showed increased mast cell tryptase and nerve growth factor in expressed prostatic secretions. In the experimental autoimmune prostatitis model increased total and activated mast cells were observed in the prostate. Mast cell deficient KitW-sh/KitW-sh mice showed attenuated pelvic pain behavior but no difference in inflammatory infiltrates in the prostate from controls. Mice with experimental autoimmune prostatitis also demonstrated increased intraprostatic nerve growth factor compared to that of KitW-sh/KitW-sh mice. Treatment of experimental autoimmune prostatitis with a mast cell stabilizer combined with a histamine 1 receptor antagonist resulted in a synergistic decrease in chronic pelvic pain. In contrast, neutralization of nerve growth factor in vivo did not result in pain relief.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that mast cells are important mediators of chronic pelvic pain in experimental autoimmune prostatitis cases. They may be potential targets for therapeutic intervention in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

PMID: 22341813
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painman
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by painman »

What are the implications of this research? Now that we know for certain that mast cells are involved what can we do to inhibit mast cell activation? I know quercetin is useful (I've had excellent results with it myself) but are there any other known mast cell inhibitors? I'm sure there has to be something out there.
Age: 25 | Age Onset: 20 | What helps: Quercetin, stretching, paleo diet, walking/hiking, meditation, benzos | What hurts: stress, lack of sleep, ejaculation, catastrophic thinking, alcohol, caffeine, weightlifting
painman
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by painman »

PS, does this also prove that CPPS is an autoimmune reaction?
Age: 25 | Age Onset: 20 | What helps: Quercetin, stretching, paleo diet, walking/hiking, meditation, benzos | What hurts: stress, lack of sleep, ejaculation, catastrophic thinking, alcohol, caffeine, weightlifting
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

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The implications are that mast cell protectors are important, which we knew already (e.g. Quercetin), but that anti-NGF is not. There are other mast cell inhibitors, but not many guys have had success with them, probably because they don't work as well in the genitourinary tract. Because mast cell degranulation is only one part of the whole pain/spasm cascade, you cannot fix the whole condition just by using a mast cell stabilizer. But usually, it helps (about 70% of the time, with the remaining 30% either genetically resistant or with pain confined to pelvic spasm and not GU tract).

Autoimmunity — no, autoimmune prostatitis is easy to generate in mice with specific genetic deficiencies, so they use them for experiments when they need animals with inflamed prostates. They were used in parallel with humans in the study to prove a point about treatment.
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Atari
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by Atari »

Hi,

Could you please mention two of the best mast cell stabilizer combined and histamine 1 receptor antagonist? Just so I can try those out and roll out if they are working or not on me.

Many thanks,
Atari
Age: 35 | Onset Age: 34 | Symptoms: | Helped By: SWT, trigger point therapy from a qualified naprapath, Tryptizol, squatting, yoga stretching. | Worsened By: Stress, not sleeping enough, sitting all day, hard workout, eating sugar and carbs in general. I'm now about 70% better with a LCHF-diet!
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by webslave »

The typical mast cell stabilizer (MCS) we use is Quercetin (specifically any accredited quercetin product because it has guaranteed contents).

Other MCSes are cromolyn sodium (Gastrocrom / Cromoglicate) and Ketotifen, if you can get them. Ketotifen is a second-generation H1-antihistamine and mast cell stabilize, BTW.

Vistaril (hydroxyzine) is the standby H1 antihistamine (or use one of its newer metabolites, e.g. Zyrtec )
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critthinker
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by critthinker »

I noticed this article on mast cells:

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmed ... ail/685932

The penultimate paragraph is interesting:

Could clinicians successfully treat CP/CPPS empirically with a combination of these medications? Dr. Thumbikat doubts it—at least not without ensuring that patients have a phenotype that would call for the treatment. That phenotype may be a patient with elevated levels of the mast cell activation markers such as NGF and mast cell tryptase.

Is there a way to test one's NGF or mast cell tryptase levels?
Age: 27 | Onset Age: 26 | Symptoms: Pelvic pain (began w/ introduction into bladder/prostate of highly resistant strain of bacteria that was acquired via a Botox injection intended to treat levator ani syndrome) | Helped By: Paxil for anxiety, Trigger point release and trigger point injections, stretches, hot baths, Prosta-Q | Worsened By: Stress/anxiety, Sitting down for long periods,
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

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No standard tests you can get through your local MD, AFAIK.
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

Post by mfg0325 »

Hi Mark, I researched on the long term safety of Cromolyn sodium, but I couldn’t find much, do you know anything about it? I’m looking for something safe to calm the inflammation at least a bit that I can use for years. Mast cells play a roll in inflammation so this approach seems logical. I’ve used the NOW brand quercetin w/ bromelain for a few weeks with no noticeable results. As far as antihistamines, there are possible long term effects if I continue to use them according to the web, smh wouldn’t it be nice to have something that could cause only minor side effects if any.
Age:25 | Onset Age:25 | Symptoms: weakness sensation in the pelvic and genital area, low libido, pain with ejaculation, penile pain, hard flaccid | Helped By: | Worsened By: ejaculation, stress, sitting too long, alcohol| Other comments:
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Re: Role of Mast Cells finally acknowledged

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The goal is not to take anything "for years". Try genuine quercetin from Quercetin suppliers before you decide it's not helping, and try for 3 months, not 3 weeks.

Other than that, short term use of Vistaril or amitriptyline.

No data on Cromolyn sodium and no success stories, if I remember correctly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromoglicic_acid
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