W Indian Med J
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Folklore claims of the therapeutic effect of garden slug (Diplosolenodes occidentalis) extract used to relieve bronchoconstriction in asthmatic individuals were never validated scientifically. The aim of this study was to isolate the pure bioactive compound from slug extract causing this effect. ⋯ Glyceryl trilinolenate produced dose-dependent relaxation in tracheal smooth muscle strips in the presence of the agonist histamine. Glyceryl trilinolenate displayed non-competitive antagonism at H1 receptors in the trachea. This agent was able to alleviate bronchoconstriction in individuals presenting with atopic asthma in rural agricultural areas in Jamaica (verbal communications). It is possible that GT can be useful therapeutically to produce tracheal smooth muscle relaxation in individuals presenting with atopic asthma.
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To evaluate the hospital outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adult patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Barbados. ⋯ In this study, the SF-36 scores in all eight dimensions indicated that the HRQOL in the majority of the survivors was average or above average. There was a significant negative correlation between APACHE IV score and the SF-36 score.