Sobre a importância dos quintais, cada vez mais desaparecidos e, com isso, as nossas raízes também.
quinta-feira, 21 de novembro de 2019
Timed release of turmeric stops cancer cell growth
Date: June 20, 2019 Source: Washington State University Summary: A new research team has developed a drug delivery system using curcumin, the main ingredient in the spice turmeric, that successfully inhibits bone cancer cells while promoting growth of healthy bone cells.
A Washington State University research team has developed a drug delivery system using curcumin, the main ingredient in the spice turmeric, that successfully inhibits bone cancer cells while promoting growth of healthy bone cells.
The work could lead to better post-operative treatments for people with osteosarcoma, the second most prevalent cause of cancer death in children.
The researchers, including Susmita Bose, Herman and Brita Lindholm Endowed Chair Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and graduate student Naboneeta Sarkar, report on their work in the journal, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
Young patients with bone cancer are often treated with high doses of chemotherapy before and after surgery, many of which have harmful side effects. Researchers would like to develop gentler treatment options, especially after surgery when patients are trying to recover from bone damage at the same time that they are taking harsh drugs to suppress tumor growth.
Turmeric has been used in cooking and as medicine for centuries in Asian countries, and its active ingredient, curcumin has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and bone-building capabilities. It has also been shown to prevent various forms of cancers.
"I want people to know the beneficial effects of these natural compounds," said Bose. "Natural biomolecules derived from these plant-based products are inexpensive and a safer alternative to synthetic drugs."
However, when taken orally as medicine, the compound can't be absorbed well in the body. It is metabolized and eliminated too quickly.
In their study, the researchers used 3D printing to build support scaffolds out of calcium phosphate. While most implants are currently made of metal, such ceramic scaffolds, which are more like real bone, could someday be used as a graft material after bone cancer surgery. The researchers incorporated curcumin, encapsulated in a vesicle of fat molecules into the scaffolds, allowing for the gradual release of the chemical.
The researchers found that their system inhibited the growth of osteosarcoma cells by 96 percent after 11 days as compared to untreated samples. The system also promoted healthy bone cell growth.
"This study introduces a new era of integration -- where modern 3d printing technology is coupled with the safe and effective use of alternative medicine, which may provide a better tool for bone tissue engineering," said Bose.
The researchers are continuing the unique area of research, studying the benefits of integrating other natural compounds in biomedical technology. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Washington State University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Naboneeta Sarkar, Susmita Bose. Liposome-Encapsulated Curcumin-Loaded 3D Printed Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2019; 11 (19): 17184 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b01218
Cite This Page:
Washington State University. "Timed release of turmeric stops cancer cell growth." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620121404.htm>.
Plants' oil-production accelerator also activates the brakes
Scientists discover seemingly paradoxical mechanism for regulating oil synthesis
Date: June 20, 2019 Source: DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory
Summary:
Scientists studying plant biochemistry recently made a surprising discovery: They found that a protein that turns on oil synthesis also activates a protein that puts the brakes on the same process. They describe how this seemingly paradoxical system keeps oil precursors perfectly balanced to meet plants' needs.
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Low-carb diet may reduce diabetes risk independent of weight loss
Researchers report reversal of metabolic syndrome in some cases
Date: June 20, 2019 Source: Ohio State University Summary: A low-carb diet may have benefits for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes even if they don't lose any weight, a new study suggests.
A low-carb diet may have benefits for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes even if they don't lose any weight, a new study suggests.
Researchers at The Ohio State University wanted to know what happens to obese people with metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, when they eat a diet low in carbohydrates but don't shed any pounds. They found that more than half of study participants no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome immediately following a four-week low-carb diet.
The new study included 16 men and women with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that also put people at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The conditions that contribute to metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormally low 'good' HDL cholesterol or high triglyceride levels. About a third of American adults have the syndrome, according to the American Heart Association.
After eating a low-carb diet, more than half the participants -- five men and four women -- saw their metabolic syndrome reversed even though they were fed diets that intentionally contained enough calories to keep their weight stable.
Previous work in the Ohio State lab and elsewhere has shown that low-carb diets can be beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome and diabetes, but nutrition scientists and others have debated whether that's a product of the diet or a product of the weight loss typically seen when people reduce carbs, said the study's senior author, Jeff Volek, a professor of human sciences at Ohio State.
"There's no doubt that people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes do better on low-carb diets, but they typically lose weight and one of the prevailing thoughts is that the weight loss is driving the improvements. That was clearly not the case here," Volek said.
"Our view is that restricting carbs even without weight loss improves a host of metabolic problems. Obviously, quality of diet matters because quantity is locked down in this experiment."
The study appears today (June 20) in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight.
Over about four months, each study participant ate three month-long controlled diets -- high-carb, moderate-carb and low-carb -- with a two-week break between diets. The order in which the participants ate the diets was randomly assigned.
The research team, led by research scientist Parker Hyde, ensured that the participants would not lose weight by providing them with pre-prepared meals that contained an amount of calories equal to their energy expenditure.
After eating the low-carb diet, the participants had a variety of significantly improved health measures, particularly lower triglycerides and improved cholesterol readings. Despite the fact that the low-carb diet contained 2.5 times more saturated fat than the high-carb diet, it decreased saturated fat in the bloodstream and was associated with an increase in the size of cholesterol particles in the blood, which decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, Hyde said.
The researchers also report evidence of increased fat-burning efficiency after a low-carb diet and an improvement in blood sugar. They did not see statistically significant improvements in blood pressure or insulin resistance.
Three participants no longer had metabolic syndrome after the moderate-carbohydrate diet and one no longer had the syndrome after the high-carb diet. Volek said that those results are likely explained by the fact that even these study diets -- particularly the moderate-carb diet -- represented a shift toward fewer carbs for study participants.
"Even a modest restriction is carbs is enough to reverse metabolic syndrome in some people, but others need to restrict even more," he said.
Because of the study design, waist circumference was not factored in as a contributor to metabolic syndrome. Had the participants been permitted to lose weight, it is likely that several more would have been considered free of the condition after the low-carb diet, Volek said.
This research doesn't address the potential long-term benefits and challenges of adopting a low-carbohydrate diet, and the researchers suggest that future long-term diet studies on people with metabolic syndrome need to include low-carb diets.
The research was supported by the National Dairy Council and the Dutch Dairy Association.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Misti Crane. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Parker N. Hyde, Teryn N. Sapper, Christopher D. Crabtree, Richard A. LaFountain, Madison L. Bowling, Alex Buga, Brandon Fell, Fionn T. McSwiney, Ryan M. Dickerson, Vincent J. Miller, Debbie Scandling, Orlando P. Simonetti, Stephen D. Phinney, William J. Kraemer, Sarah A. King, Ronald M. Krauss, Jeff S. Volek. Dietary carbohydrate restriction improves metabolic syndrome independent of weight loss. JCI Insight, 2019; 4 (12) DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.128308
Cite This Page:
Ohio State University. "Low-carb diet may reduce diabetes risk independent of weight loss: Researchers report reversal of metabolic syndrome in some cases." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620100036.htm>.
Vanilla makes milk beverages seem sweeter
Date: June 20, 2019 Source: Penn State Summary: Adding vanilla to sweetened milk makes consumers think the beverage is sweeter, allowing the amount of added sugar to be reduced, according to new researchers, who will use the concept to develop a reduced-sugar chocolate milk for the National School Lunch Program.
Adding vanilla to sweetened milk makes consumers think the beverage is sweeter, allowing the amount of added sugar to be reduced, according to Penn State researchers, who will use the concept to develop a reduced-sugar chocolate milk for the National School Lunch Program.
"We are utilizing a learned association between an odor and a taste that will allow us to reduce the added sugar content," said Helene Hopfer, assistant professor of food science. "Reducing added sugar in products, just like reducing fat and salt, is the holy grail of food science."
The idea that congruent or harmonious odors enhance certain tastes is not new, explained Hopfer, whose research group in the College of Agricultural Sciences has been experimenting with these "cross-modal interactions" in food since she came to Penn State three years ago. Her goal is to see them actually incorporated into foods.
In a blind taste test that provided new insights into taste enhancement by an aroma, participants -- who did not know vanilla had been added to the milk -- consistently indicated that samples with vanilla were significantly sweeter than their added sugar concentrations could explain.
The subjects' responses indicate that with the addition of vanilla, the added sugar content in flavored milk could potentially be reduced by 20 to 50 percent, suggested lead researcher Gloria Wang, and people should not be able to perceive the beverage as less sweet.
"We maintain the sweetness perception by having this congruent odor -- this learned, associated odor -- basically trick the brain into thinking that there is still enough sweetness there," she said. "Based on our results, taste-aroma interaction is a robust effect."
Wang, now an associate scientist in product development with Leprino Foods Co. in Colorado, conducted the research at Penn State as part of her master's degree thesis in food science. She tested not only congruent taste-aroma combinations but incongruent combinations as well. It turned out that even a beef odor in milk slightly enhanced sweetness for study participants.
Given widespread concerns about sugar intake and health, manufacturers are reformulating their products to help address consumer demand, Wang noted. She believes the findings of the research, recently published in Food Quality and Preference, offer them a workable option to reduce added sugar in their products and retain the sweetness consumers demand.
The study was novel because it did not ask participants to rate individual attributes of the milk such as sweetness, intensity of vanilla odor or milk taste. Instead, participants took a more holistic approach and simply selected the best match for the vanilla milk from four differently sweetened milk choices.
Later this summer, Hopfer's lab in the Department of Food Science will start working on a two-year project, funded by the National Dairy Council, aimed at developing a reduced-sugar chocolate milk for the National School Lunch Program. The effort, based on the recent research using the synergistic actions between vanilla and sugar to reduce the added sugar content, will be a challenge because of the inherent bitterness of cocoa.
"The amount of sugar in chocolate milk is quite high because cocoa is very bitter, so you need some sugar to decrease the bitterness of the cocoa and then more to make it sweet," Hopfer said. "We are hoping to utilize what we found with odors to reduce the added sugar content by experimenting to find the sweet spot between cocoa powder, sugar content and vanilla flavor. We know that if it isn't sweet, children won't drink it."
Also involved in the research were Alyssa Bakke, staff sensory scientist in food science, and John Hayes, associate professor of food science and director of the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported this work.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Penn State. Original written by Jeff Mulhollem. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Cite This Page:
Penn State. "Vanilla makes milk beverages seem sweeter." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 June 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620121410.htm>.
Insights on marijuana and opioid use in people with cancer
Date: April 22, 2019 Source: Wiley Summary: A new study reveals that many people with cancer use marijuana, and rates of use in the US have increased over time. The study also found that patients with cancer are more likely to use prescription opioids than adults without cancer.
A new study reveals that many people with cancer use marijuana, and rates of use in the U.S. have increased over time. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also found that patients with cancer are more likely to use prescription opioids than adults without cancer.
Pain is a common symptom of cancer, and many affected patients do not receive adequate pain relief. In light of rapidly evolving marijuana legislation and a growing opioid epidemic, a team led by Jona Hattangadi-Gluth, MD, and Kathryn Ries Tringale, MD, MAS, of the University of California, San Diego, examined trends in the self-disclosed use of marijuana and opioids among patients with cancer.
After analyzing data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2014, the investigators matched 826 people with cancer to 1,652 controls without cancer. Among survey respondents who had cancer, 40.3 percent used marijuana within the past year, compared with 38.0 percent of respondents without cancer. Also, people with cancer were more likely to use prescription opioids than their demographically equivalent counterparts without cancer (13.9 percent versus 6.4 percent).
"Prospective clinical trials are needed to quantify the efficacy of marijuana in cancer-specific pain as well as the risk of opioid misuse in this patient population," said Dr. Tringale.
When looking at rates of marijuana and opioid use in more than 19,000 survey respondents with and without cancer over 10 years, the researchers found significantly increased use of marijuana over time -- likely reflecting increased availability due to legislative changes -- but they found stable rates of opioid use. A diagnosis of cancer did not significantly affect the odds of substance use over time from 2005 to 2014.
"Medical marijuana legalization has previously been associated with a reduction in hospitalizations related to opioid dependence or abuse, suggesting that if patients are in fact substituting marijuana for opioids, this may introduce an opportunity for reducing opioid-related morbidity and mortality," said Dr. Hattangadi-Gluth. "Of course, it will also be important to identify risks and adverse effects of marijuana, which has not previously been studied on large randomized clinical trials, given its scheduling as a class 1 controlled substance."
Story Source:
Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Kathryn R. Tringale, Minh‐Phuong Huynh‐Le, Mia Salans, Deborah C. Marshall, Yuyan Shi, Jona A. Hattangadi‐Gluth. The role of cancer in marijuana and prescription opioid use in the United States: A population‐based analysis from 2005 to 2014. Cancer, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32059
Cite This Page:
Wiley. "Insights on marijuana and opioid use in people with cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 April 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190422100947.htm>.
Curry spice boosts exercise performance in mice with heart failure
Curcumin treatment improved muscle function, exercise capacity in mice with heart failure and healthy controls
Date: November 29, 2018 Source: American Physiological Society Summary: New research suggests that curcumin, a main ingredient in curry, may improve exercise intolerance related to heart failure.
New research suggests that curcumin, a main ingredient in curry, may improve exercise intolerance related to heart failure. The study is published ahead of print in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Curcumin, a chemical that comes from the turmeric plant, has been used as a traditional Asian medicine for centuries, primarily to treat gastrointestinal ailments and skin wounds. Studies increasingly suggest that the compound may prevent or limit muscle wasting associated with a number of health conditions, including heart failure.
Heart failure affects more than 6 million people living in the U.S. People with heart failure have a reduced function of the left ventricle -- the chamber of the heart that pumps blood out to the rest of the body -- called reduced ejection fraction. A decreased ability to exercise (exercise intolerance) is another significant characteristic of heart failure. Previous research has found that higher than normal levels of oxidative stress -- an imbalance of two different kinds of molecules that can result in cell damage -- contribute to exercise intolerance in people with heart failure. Heart failure is also associated with lower than normal expression of antioxidant enzymes in the muscles, but the reason for this is unclear. Antioxidant enzymes both prevent and repair damage from oxidative stress. Boosting enzyme levels may improve exercise performance in people in heart failure.
Researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center theorized that a reduction in the normal signaling of Nrf2, a protein that regulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes, may play a role in the impaired expression of antioxidant enzymes. They examined the effects of curcumin, which is known to promote activation of Nrf2, on a mouse model of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. One group of mice with heart failure received daily doses of curcumin for 12 weeks, and another group did not receive treatment. The heart failure groups were compared to a control group of healthy mice that received curcumin and an untreated control group.
The research team measured the exercise capacity of all the mice before and after curcumin treatment. The researchers also examined muscle fiber samples to assess enzyme expression levels. They found that expression of Nrf2 increased and levels of antioxidant enzymes improved in the animals with heart failure that were given curcumin. In addition, both groups that received curcumin -- even the animals without heart failure -- had improved exercise capacity when compared with the untreated groups, suggesting the effects of curcumin on skeletal muscle is not exclusive to heart failure.
"These data suggest that activation of Nrf2 in skeletal muscle may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to improve ... quality of life" in people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the researchers wrote.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Physiological Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Ahmed M. Wafi, Juan Hong, Tara L. Rudebush, Li Yu, Bryan T. Hackfort, Han-Jun Wang, Harold D. Schultz, Irving H. Zucker, Lie Gao. Curcumin Improves Exercise Performance of Mice with Coronary Artery Ligation Induced HFrEF: Nrf2 and Antioxidant Mechanisms in Skeletal Muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2018; DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00654.2018
Cite This Page:
American Physiological Society. "Curry spice boosts exercise performance in mice with heart failure: Curcumin treatment improved muscle function, exercise capacity in mice with heart failure and healthy controls." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 November 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181129122448.htm>.
Mangroves vital for environmental decontamination
Date: August 3, 2017 Source: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Summary: Mangrove trees, particularly their leaf litter, filter copper out of soil and water in Indonesia.
Mangrove trees, particularly their leaf litter, filter copper out of soil and water in Indonesia.
Grey mangrove trees, Avicennia marina, filter heavy metals out of the surrounding soil and water. A new study from Indonesia has found that their leaf litter accumulates the most copper, followed by leaves and then roots.
Researchers from Universitas Diponegoro analysed copper concentrations in a mangrove forest in Tapak Tuguerjo, an area along the northern coast of Java, Indonesia. The forest is downstream from a river polluted by a nearby factory. Copper concentrations in seawater samples from the study area ranged from 0.02 milligrams per litre (mg/L) to 0.05 mg/L; as much as six times the 0.008 mg/L maximum permissible level for marine biota set by the Indonesian Ministry of Envi-ronment.
Over the span of 12 weeks, the team collected samples of water, soil, roots, young leaves and leaf litter (fallen leaves). After drying and grinding the plant material, they analysed its copper content using atomic absorption spectroscopy.
They found that copper concentrations in the plant material were up to ten times more than the water samples. Leaf litter carried the highest concentration, followed by live leaves and then roots, according to the study published in the Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science.
The results confirm findings from several other studies and demonstrate the mangrove's ability to defend "itself against contaminated environments by excreting copper through its leaves, which will then be discarded through defoliation." Mangroves are able to do this better than many other plant species, due in part to their adaptation to living in coastal zones, where they absorb and eliminate salt in a similar way.
As the leaf litter breaks down, copper can then be reintroduced back to the soil and water. However, the researchers suspect the impact is minimal: the estimated amount released is less than 3.5 percent of the total absorbed, and is spread over a large area.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Martuti, N. K. T., Widianarko, B., and Yulianto, B. Translocation and Elimination of Cu in Avicennia marina. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 2017
Cite This Page:
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). "Mangroves vital for environmental decontamination." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 August 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170803155843.htm>.
Natural compound coupled with specific gut microbes may prevent severe flu
Mouse study reveals how gut microbes fight influenza
Date: August 3, 2017 Source:Washington University School of Medicine Summary: A particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu infections in mice, likely by breaking down naturally occurring compounds -- called flavonoids -- commonly found in foods such as black tea, red wine and blueberries, new research shows.
Microbes that live in the gut don't just digest food. They also have far-reaching effects on the immune system. Now, a new study shows that a particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu infections in mice, likely by breaking down naturally occurring compounds -- called flavonoids -- commonly found in foods such as black tea, red wine and blueberries.
The research, conducted in mice by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, also indicates that this strategy is effective in staving off severe damage from flu when the interaction occurs prior to infection with the influenza virus. This work also could help explain the wide variation in human responses to influenza infection.
The study is published Aug. 4 in the journal Science.
"For years, flavonoids have been thought to have protective properties that help regulate the immune system to fight infections," said first author Ashley L. Steed, MD, PhD, an instructor in pediatrics who treats intensive care patients at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "Flavonoids are common in our diets, so an important implication of our study is that it's possible flavonoids work with gut microbes to protect us from flu and other viral infections. Obviously, we need to learn more, but our results are intriguing."
Influenza -- characterized by fever, cough and body aches -- is a common and sometimes deadly viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Older adults, pregnant women, young children and people with chronic health problems such as asthma and heart disease are most prone to serious flu complications. Since 2004, an average of 113 children have died from influenza in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Around the world, the World Health Organization estimates there are 250,000 to 500,000 flu-related deaths annually.
Previous evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may be important in protecting against severe influenza infections, so in this study, the researchers aimed to identify just what gut microbes might provide that protection. In addition, for years, nutritionists have explored potential health benefits linked to foods loaded with flavonoids.
"It's not only having a diet rich in flavonoids, our results show you also need the right microbes in the intestine to use those flavonoids to control the immune response," said the study's senior author, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, MD, PhD, the Conan Professor of Pathology & Immunology. "We were able to identify at least one type of bacteria that uses these dietary compounds to boost interferon, a signaling molecule that aids the immune response. This prevented influenza-related lung damage in the mice. It is this kind of damage that often causes significant complications such as pneumonia in people."
As part of the study, the researchers screened human gut microbes looking for one that metabolized flavonoids. Stappenbeck and Steed identified one such microbe that they suspected might protect against flu damage. The microbe, called Clostridium orbiscindens, degrades flavonoids to produce a metabolite that enhances interferon signaling.
"The metabolite is called desaminotyrosine, otherwise known as DAT," Steed said. "When we gave DAT to mice and then infected them with influenza, the mice experienced far less lung damage than mice not treated with DAT."
Interestingly, although the lungs of DAT-treated mice didn't have as much flu damage, their levels of viral infection were identical to those in mice that didn't get the treatment.
"The infections were basically the same," Stappenbeck said. "The microbes and DAT didn't prevent the flu infection itself; the mice still had the virus. But the DAT kept the immune system from harming the lung tissue."
That's important because annual flu vaccines aren't always effective at preventing infections.
"But with DAT, it may be possible to keep people from getting quite as sick if they do become infected," Steed said. "This strategy doesn't target the virus. Instead, it targets the immune response to the virus. That could be valuable because there are challenges with therapies and vaccines that target the virus due to changes in the influenza virus that occur over time."
Next steps include identifying other gut microbes that also may use flavonoids to influence the immune system, as well as exploring ways to boost the levels of those bacteria in people whose intestines aren't adequately colonized with those microbes. As those future studies are planned, the researchers said it might not be a bad idea to drink black tea and eat foods rich in flavonoids before the next flu season begins.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Washington University School of Medicine. Original written by Jim Dryden. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Ashley L. Steed, George P. Christophi, Gerard E. Kaiko, Lulu Sun, Victoria M. Goodwin, Umang Jain, Ekaterina Esaulova, Maxim N. Artyomov, David J. Morales, Michael J. Holtzman, Adrianus C. M. Boon, Deborah J. Lenschow, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck. The microbial metabolite desaminotyrosine protects from influenza through type I interferon. Science, 2017; 357 (6350): 498 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam5336
Cite This Page:
Washington University School of Medicine. "Natural compound coupled with specific gut microbes may prevent severe flu: Mouse study reveals how gut microbes fight influenza." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 August 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170803141048.htm>.
Lung benefits of caffeine therapy in preemies persists into mid-childhood
Date: July 14, 2017 Source: American Thoracic Society (ATS) Summary: Premature babies treated with caffeine have better lung function in mid-childhood than preemies not treated with caffeine, according to a randomized controlled trial.
Premature babies treated with caffeine have better lung function in mid-childhood than preemies not treated with caffeine, according to a randomized controlled trial published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
"Previous studies have shown that caffeine, which belongs to a group of drugs known as methylxanthines, reduces apnea of prematurity, a condition in which the baby stops breathing for many seconds," said lead study author Lex W. Doyle, MD, professor of neonatal pediatrics at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne and head of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council's Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine.
Dr. Doyle added that caffeine, one of the most widely used drugs in neonatal intensive care, shortens the time premature infants require help breathing after birth. It also reduces the chances that the newborn will develop lung injury or abnormal lung development, a condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which can lead to higher rates of breathing problems later in life.
In "Neonatal Caffeine Treatment and Respiratory Function at 11 Years in Children," Dr. Doyle and colleagues report on their study to determine if the lung benefits of caffeine in premature babies persist in mid-childhood.
At age 11, 142 children living in Australia who had been part of the international Caffeine for Apnea of Prematurity randomized controlled trial had their expiratory flow rates measured. Slightly more than half the children had been enrolled in the caffeine intervention; the others had been given a placebo.
The researchers found expiratory flows were significantly better in the caffeine group by approximately one-half a standard deviation for FEV1 (the maximum amount of air that can be forcefully blown out in one second), FVC (the amount of air that can be forcibly exhaled after taking the deepest breath possible) and FEF25-75% (the average flow from the point at which 25 percent of the FVC has been exhaled to the point at which 75 percent of the FVC has been exhaled.) FEV1/FVC (a measure of obstructive lung disease) was better by a lesser amount but still statistically significant.
The researchers said that caffeine appeared to improve long-term breathing by reducing lung injury and abnormal development during the newborn period, "rather than the caffeine molecule having any direct effect on the lung itself."
Study limitations include the fact that respiratory function tests measured only expiratory flows and the children were from only one of the Caffeine for the Apnea of Prematurity trial sites.
"It would be desirable to repeat lung function more extensively later in life, and at more sites to identify those participants at highest risk of developing severe breathing disorders in adulthood," Dr. Doyle said. "If it were possible to repeat lung function at one time only, the best time would be around age 25, when lung growth peaks."
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Thoracic Society (ATS). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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American Thoracic Society (ATS). "Lung benefits of caffeine therapy in preemies persists into mid-childhood." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 July 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170714072216.htm>.
Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids
Date: July 18, 2017 Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Summary: Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits - but without the psychotropic high.
Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits -- but without the psychotropic high.
The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Foods such as meat, eggs, fish and nuts contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the body converts into endocannabinoids -- cannabinoids that the body produces naturally, said Aditi Das, a University of Illinois professor of comparative biosciences and biochemistry, who led the study. Cannabinoids in marijuana and endocannabinoids produced in the body can support the body's immune system and therefore are attractive targets for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics, she said.
In 1964, the Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam was the first to discover and isolate THC from marijuana. To test whether he had found the compound that produces euphoria, he dosed cake slices with 10 milligrams of pure THC and gave them to willing friends at a party. Their reactions, from nonstop laughter, to lethargy, to talkativeness, confirmed that THC was a psychotropic cannabinoid.
It wasn't until 1992 that researchers discovered endocannabinoids produced naturally in the body. Since then, several other endocannabinoids have been identified, but not all have known functions.
Cannabinoids bind to two types of cannabinoid receptors in the body -- one that is found predominantly in the nervous system and one in the immune system, Das said.
"Some cannabinoids, such as THC in marijuana or endocannabinoids can bind to these receptors and elicit anti-inflammatory and anti-pain action," she said.
"Our team discovered an enzymatic pathway that converts omega-3-derived endocannabinoids into more potent anti-inflammatory molecules that predominantly bind to the receptors found in the immune system," Das said. "This finding demonstrates how omega-3 fatty acids can produce some of the same medicinal qualities as marijuana, but without a psychotropic effect."
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Original written by Steph Adams. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Daniel R. McDougle, Josephine E. Watson, Amr A. Abdeen, Reheman Adili, Megan P. Caputo, John E. Krapf, Rodney W. Johnson, Kristopher A. Kilian, Michael Holinstat, Aditi Das. Anti-inflammatory ω-3 endocannabinoid epoxides. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201610325 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610325114
Cite This Page:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 July 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170718142909.htm>.
Using omega 3 fatty acids to treat Alzheimer's and other diseases?
Date: July 18, 2017 Source: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Summary: Understanding how dietary essential fatty acids work may lead to effective treatments for diseases and conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease and other retinal and neurodegenerative diseases. The key is to be able to intervene during the early stages of the disease.
Understanding how dietary essential fatty acids work may lead to effective treatments for diseases and conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease and other retinal and neurodegenerative diseases. The key is to be able to intervene during the early stages of the disease. That is the conclusion of a Minireview by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director, and Aram Asatryan, PhD, postdoctoral researcher, at the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry's Thematic Minireview Series: Inflammatory transcription confronts homeostatic disruptions.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a key essential Omega-3 fatty acid, produces signaling molecules called docosanoids in response to disruptions in the state of equilibrium within cells caused by injury or disease. Neuroprotectin D1 (NDP1) is a docosanoid that the Bazan lab discovered and found protects neurons by controlling which and how certain genes in the retina and brain respond.
Research shows that the preclinical events in Alzheimer's disease including neuroinflammation, damage to dendritic spines -- small doorknob-shaped protrusions that help transmit electrical signals to the cell -- and problems with cell-to-cell communication coincide with decreased DHA content in the brain. The neuroprotective bioactivity of NPD1 includes inflammatory modulating properties as well as features that promote cell survival, both of which contribute to restoring a stable state of equilibrium, or homeostasis, within the cell.
In experimental models of stroke, researchers at LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center led by Bazan have shown that the administration of NPD1 reduces the size of stroke damage and also saves tissue in the rim surrounding the stroke core, which remains viable for a short time.
Research has demonstrated that DHA from the liver is also retained and concentrated in photoreceptor cells and that retinal degeneration occurs when photoreceptor cells fail to capture DHA. When a gene that regulates the uptake of DHA is turned off, photoreceptor cells die and a single amino acid mutation in this receptor can cause retinitis pigmentosa.
Cells die through a variety of mechanisms. Contributors include a family of reactive oxygen species -- compounds formed continuously as by-products of aerobic metabolism such as from reactions to drugs and environmental toxins, or when the levels of antioxidants are diminished creating oxidative stress, as well as inflammation and the disease process. Cell death is considered to be reversible until a first "point of no return" checkpoint is passed. The authors describe how NPD1 acts to stop cells from passing that checkpoint in cell death activation pathways including apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and pyronecrosis, among others.
The Minireview summarizes the effects of the essential fatty acid family member DHA and its bioactive derivative NPD1 in the context of a specific target of gene regulation. The authors also describe the mechanism of a pathway of regulation by a bioactive lipid that has a significant impact on cellular homeostasis -- how NPD1 activates pro-survival genes and suppresses pro-death genes.
"The organizational and functional complexity of the brain raises new questions regarding how the cellular events described here operate in response to disrupted homeostasis to attain neuroprotection in pathological conditions," notes Bazan. "It is our hope that this knowledge will contribute to managing early stages of such devastating diseases as Alzheimer's, stroke, traumatic brain injury, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's and others."
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Journal Reference:
Aram Asatryan, Nicolas G. Bazan. Molecular mechanisms of signaling via the docosanoid neuroprotectin D1 for cellular homeostasis and neuroprotection. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2017; jbc.R117.783076 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.R117.783076
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Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. "Using omega 3 fatty acids to treat Alzheimer's and other diseases?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 July 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170718124732.htm>.