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Headlines
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1. Glutathione Depletion
Linked to Parkinson’s
2. Zetia Risks Not
Revealed
3. Allergies May Protect
Against Pancreatic
Cancer
4. Some Temper Tantrums
Can Be Red Flags
5. Five Skin Care
Products to Make Under $5 in Five
Minutes
1. Glutathione Depletion
Linked to Parkinson's
Scientists at the Buck
Institute have shown that mice suffering from a depletion of the
antioxidant glutathione in dopamine-producing neurons developed
nerve damage and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD)
in humans. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in the mid-brain
which facilitates many critical functions, including motor skills.
Past studies have shown that depletion of the naturally occurring
antioxidant in the affected area of the brain is one of the earliest
signs of PD, but this study shows that glutathione depletion may be
a causal factor in the disorder. Results of the study, led by
faculty member Julie Andersen PhD, are to be published in the
December 19, 2007 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
In the course of their
research, Buck Institute scientists created a new model for studying
PD, a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disorder that affects
1.5 million Americans and results in tremor, slowness of movement
and rigidity. They bred mice that can be chemically induced to
develop a depletion of glutathione in the dopaminergic neurons as
adults (animals unable to create glutathione would not survive in
the womb). By inducing the depletion at various stages of the adult
lifecycle scientists researchers also highlighted the connection
between aging and PD. Mice induced to have glutathione depletion as
young adults did not develop Parkinsonian-like nerve damage and
symptoms, while those who suffered from the depletion in late middle
age did develop a loss of dopaminergic neurons specifically related
to PD.
In addition, the study
suggests that loss of glutathione in the affected neurons may impact
on energy production in the mitochondria, the “power plant” of the
cells. This appears to involve a particular enzyme complex called
mitochondrial complex I. Enzymatic activity of this complex has been
found to be compromised in PD patients, but to date it has not been
clear how this inhibition occurs.
Glutathione is
recognized as a detoxifying antioxidant that helps the body repair
damage from stress, pollution, infection and damage. While available
in supplemental form, the antioxidant does not easily cross the
blood-brain barrier. A pilot study in 1996 in which a small group of
untreated PD patients were given daily intravenous infusions of
glutathione over the period of a month reportedly resulted in a
significant improvement in disability. “Whether such treatment was
effective in altering brain levels of glutathione or in having
lasting effects is unclear,” said Andersen. “However, our data
suggests that maintaining glutathione levels is critical for
protecting neurons associated with PD from neurodegeneration. This
work also points to glutathione replacement as a possible
therapeutic avenue for PD and other related disorders.”
“The novelty of this
study is in finding a way to decrease glutathione synthesis in
neural tissue by genetic manipulation and in demonstrating that this
appears to allow inactivation of a critical component of
mitochondrial function through the same mechanism that could only be
previously demonstrated in a cell culture model,” said Henry Jay
Forman, PhD, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, UC Merced. “The
implications for the role of glutathione depletion in the mechanism
of Parkinson’s disease are clear.”
Editor's
Note:
2. Zetia Risks Not
Revealed
The makers of the
popular cholesterol drug, Zetia, appear to have conducted studies
that indicated the drug could pose risks for the liver, but never
published those troubling findings. The studies, according to
documents on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, indicated
that non-statin Zetia could cause liver damage when used long-term
and combined with statin cholesterol drugs like Liptor, Crestor or
Zocor.
The newly discovered
research comes after Zetia’s manufacturer, Merck and
Schering-Plough, was criticized for not releasing data from another
study called Enhance. Patients were dropped from the study after
tests discovered their liver enzymes were elevated, a possible sign
of organ damage.
Questions about Zetia’s
safety were raised even before the drug was approved in 2002 when
one F.D.A. reviewer warned that animal tests had shown liver damage
when it was combined with statins. Zetia was approved by the F.D.A.
after only a twelve-week human trial that involved only 3900
patients. Even that short trial raised red flags about Zetia’s
safety when combined with statins, which is a common combination.
The findings could
affect millions of Americans who take both statin and non-statin
drugs to help control their cholesterol. Some take Vytorin that
combines Zetia with Zocor in a single pill.
Editor's
Note:
3. Allergies May Protect
Against Pancreatic Cancer
Having a history of
allergies or hay fever may offer protection from deadly pancreatic
cancer, according to a study appearing in the International Journal
of Cancer.
Ayelet Eppel, of
Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined the
association between a history of allergies or asthma and the risk of
pancreas cancer in a population-based, case-control study in
Ontario.
They identified cases of
pancreatic cancer through the Ontario Cancer Registry and recruited
control subjects from the Ontario Familial Colorectal Cancer
Registry.
A total of 276
pancreatic cancer cases and 378 controls were included in the study.
The investigators found
that a history of allergies or hay fever was associated with a
significant 57 percent reduction in the risk of pancreatic cancer.
The reduction in risk
was stronger in men than in women. There was no association between
history of asthma and the risk of cancer of the pancreas.
"Further research is
needed to replicate these findings," Eppel told Reuters Health.
"If replicated, our
findings may be of importance to understanding the biological
mechanisms involved in pancreas cancer development — for
example, the role of the immune system," the researcher explained,
adding: "The association between allergies and certain cancers has
been found in other studies."
SOURCE: International
Journal of Cancer, December 2007.
Copyright Reuters
Editor's
Note:
4. Some Temper Tantrums
Can Be Red Flags
Children who have long,
frequent or aggressive temper tantrums may be at risk of depression
or disruptive disorders, U.S. researchers said on
Thursday.
They said tantrums were
often the sign of a sick, hungry or overstimulated child. For most
parents, they were a normal part of development and should be viewed
as a teaching opportunity.
But parents of children
who hurt themselves or others and those who cannot calm themselves
without help should seek medical help, they found. Healthy children
tended to have less aggressive, and generally shorter tantrums.
"I think parents to some
degree should expect their children to have tantrums," said Dr. Andy
Belden of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis,
whose study appeared in the Journal of Pediatrics.
"If they are having
extreme tantrums consistently. If almost every time they are having
a tantrum they are hurting themselves or other people, that is a
valid reason to go and talk to your pediatrician," Belden said in a
telephone interview.
His team analyzed parent
reports of tantrum behaviors in 279 children aged 3 to 6. They
compared tantrums in healthy children with those in children
previously diagnosed with depression or some type of disruptive
disorder, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or
oppositional defiant disorder.
From their observations,
Belden's team devised five high-risk tantrum styles: Tantrums marked
by self injury; tantrums marked by violence to others or objects;
tantrums in which children cannot calm themselves without help;
tantrums lasting more than 25 minutes; and tantrums occurring more
than 5 times a day, or between 10 and 20 times a month.
Of those, Belden said
tantrums in which children harm themselves were most often
associated with depression and should be considered very serious.
He said any of those
high-risk behaviors would warrant a call to the doctor.
"If it gets to the point
where the parent is uncomfortable leaving the house because they are
so fearful their child will have tantrum, that should be a sign to
the parent (to seek help)" he said.
Copyright Reuters
Editor's
Note:
5. Five Skin Care
Products to Make Under $5 in Five
Minutes
Are you tired of
synthetic chemicals in all your expensive body care products? Lily
Morgan, founder of Lily Organics dew fresh skincare and author of
"Beauty, Health and Happiness — a Way of Life," suggests you
save your money and provides free recipes on her web site
www.Lilyorganics.com
to all who want to be symmetrically chemical free.
Lily shares her secrets
to making five skin care products in less than five minutes and for
less than $5…all with ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
1. PAPAYA EXFOLIANT
MASK: Simply take one papaya and put in
the blender. Apply to dry face and leave on for 20 plus minutes. You
may also add ground herbs, other fruits or vegetables, including
cucumber.
2. HONEY LAVENDER ROSE
MASK: Ground up into a powder, one (1)
ounce each of lavender and of rose. Mix into the consistency of
honey to make a pasted that will be easily applied to the skin.
3. FACIAL SALT
SCRUB: The salt scrub can be used for all
skin types. Instead of an enzyme or acidic action to remove dead
cells, the salt scrub uses a mechanical action. The salt scrub is
the easiest and best way to have a scrub available at all times. All
you have to do is simply add salt to your cleanser or soap. It is
very important you do not add salt to the product in the bottle or
jar. You must only add it at the time of cleansing or you will
change the chemical constituency of the product! You can also do the
exact same thing with sugar.
4. VINEGAR
PEEL: For all skin types, except
sensitive, vinegar is very acidic and can disturb sensitive skin.
The vinegar removes dead cells so it is perfect for dry flaky skin
or oily skin. Mix ¼ to ½ cup certified organic (with the Mother in
it, the floating sediment is imperative to quality vinegar) to one
cup pure water. Take a washcloth and cut out the eyes and nose to
see and breath. Soak the washcloth in the water/vinegar mix and
apply to your face while lying down. Leave on for up to 25 minutes.
5. BODY SALT
SCRUB: This can be used for all skin
types periodically as needed to remove dead skin. Put 2/3 cup olive
or almond oil in a small bowl. Add approximately the same amount of
sea salt or table salt (if that is all you have on hand) or sugar.
Add enough to make a nice consistency to be able to grab and rub all
over your body. Add several drops of your favorite essential oil and
begin rubbing all over your body in the tub — seated. Be very
careful in the bathtub because the oil can cause you to slip and
fall. Rub the salt all over your body to remove dead cells. When you
are done, shower off. Your whole body will feel fabulous. Editor’s
Note: Hidden Dangers Make Your Home a Health
Risk.
Editor's
Note:
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Notes:
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