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Malignant Wounds
Published in Margaret O’Connor, Sanchia Aranda, Susie Wilkinson, Palliative Care Nursing, 2018
Itching can be a chronic problem when new tumour nodules are beginning to emerge in surrounding skin. The stretching of the skin irritates nerve endings and can cause a biochemical reaction leading to local inflammation. Relief can be achieved through the application of hydrogel sheets, which have a cooling effect when applied to itching skin. This effect can be enhanced if the dressing is stored in a non-food refrigerator. The dressing should be covered with a semi-permeable film, to prevent dehydration of the dressing. Another option is menthol in aqueous cream, which can usually be supplied by a pharmacy. This cream does not dry out on the skin and the menthol has a cooling effect. The cream can be applied to itchy areas 2–3 times a day, or as necessary, although it should not be applied to open wounds (Naylor, Laverty & Mallett 2001). Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can also be effective in relieving itching associated with a malignant wound (Grocott 2000).
Identifying Pharmaceutical-Grade Essential Oils and Using Them Safely and Effectively in Integrative Medicine
Published in Aruna Bakhru, Nutrition and Integrative Medicine, 2018
Natural Occurrence in Essential Oils: Menthol is found predominantly in your mint essential oils, most notably peppermint and corn mint, which contains approximately 35–55% and 60–80%, respectively.26,86
Terpenes and Terpenoids
Published in William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel, Reversibility of Chronic Disease and Hypersensitivity, Volume 4, 2017
William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel
The essential oils of plants contain an abundance of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes. The most common structural monoterpenes are derivatives of geraniol, the main constituent of geranium oil. Menthol is the chief component of peppermint oil. d-Limonene composes over 90% of lemon oil. α-Pinene is found in the oil of rosemary. Camphor is the main component of sage oil. Iridoids are interesting monoterpenes, which have been isolated from ants. Monoterpenes are used in flavor and perfume industries because of their attractive odors, high volatilities, and low molecular weights.78 Most of these are synthesized and usually trigger symptoms in individuals with chemical sensitivity. Several monoterpenes are found in turpentine. The rosin acids are diterpenes. Vitamin A is the best-known open-chain diterpene. The triterpenes that are obtainable from shark liver oil may be converted to cholesterol and many other steroids. The carotenoid pigments are the best-known tetraterpenes. The function of terpenes in plants, which has been previously described as being a protectant for heat and other organisms, is not always so clear. Terpenes sometimes possess toxic properties that link to the protection of the species. Animals do not eat some types of terpenes. The same protective properties appear to trigger and exacerbate symptoms in individuals with chemical sensitivity.
Neuromodulatory and neurotoxic effects of e-cigarette vapor using a realistic exposure method
Published in Inhalation Toxicology, 2023
Yvonne C. M. Staal, Yixuan Li, Lora-Sophie Gerber, Paul Fokkens, Hans Cremers, Flemming R. Cassee, Reinskje Talhout, Remco H. S. Westerink, Harm J. Heusinkveld
Both nicotine and menthol are known for their neuroactive and neuro-modulatory effects upon inhalation. Nicotine in cigarettes is well-known for its ability to bind to acetylcholine receptors, resulting in increased activity of the cholinergic system and ultimately release of dopamine, responsible for the rewarding but also addictive effects of smoking (Wills et al. 2022). Menthol is known to increase the addictiveness of nicotine (MacLean et al. 2021). Although the mechanism underlying this effect is unknown, menthol has been reported to exert modulatory effects on voltage-gated sodium channels as well as to enhance dopamine-mediated striatal neurotransmission (Umezu et al. 2021; Szulczyk and Spyrka 2022). To our knowledge, vanillin is not reported to have receptor-mediated neuromodulatory capacity, although neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory effects have been reported (Ahmadi et al. 2021; Deng et al. 2020).
Retail Availability and Characteristics of Addictive Areca Nut Products in a US Metropolis
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2021
Menthol, a medicinal compound extracted from mint plants, was another additive found in many of the purchased products. Topically applied menthol has been used therapeutically for decades to treat minor aches and pains, inducing a cooling sensation when applied to the skin, mouth, or other tissues. It is also a common additive found in tobacco cigarettes, in which it reduces the irritation and sensory perception induced by cigarette smoke and nicotine (Dessirier, O’Mahony, and Carstens 2001; Willis et al. 2011). However, menthol also enhances the addictive effects of nicotine by altering several of nicotine’s pharmacological properties (Alsharari et al. 2015) and increases the toxicity of cigarette smoke (Noriyasu et al. 2013; Wertz et al. 2011). The major pharmacological active alkaloid in ANs is arecoline, which has similar pharmacological properties to nicotine and is further metabolized to psychoactive derivatives. Whether or not menthol influences arecoline exposure in the body (e.g., by increasing absorption) and consequent psychosomatic effects remains to be determined.
Investigational drugs in early phase clinical trials targeting thermotransient receptor potential (thermoTRP) channels
Published in Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, 2020
Asia Fernández-Carvajal, Rosario González-Muñiz, Gregorio Fernández-Ballester, Antonio Ferrer-Montiel
Menthol has been profusely used in >200 clinical studies for cosmetic and medical applications, most of them related to pain (Table 2). Different menthol concentrations, from 3.5% to 40%, topically applied have entered into clinical trials to treat diverse painful conditions, from Carpal tunnel syndrome to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Thus far, only positive results have been published for two of them. One is related to topical application of 3.5% menthol to treat pain symptoms of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (NCT01716767). The observed reduction of pain intensity in arm/hand after menthol treatment could constitute an effective non-systemic alternative to regular analgesics. The other clinical assay was based on the application of 6% menthol behind the ears and to the occipital region of the neck to treat migraine (NCT01687101). In this study, patients showed a significant improvement in headache intensity, suggesting that could be an effective treatment for acute migraine attacks.