Liver | SilverScorpio.Com

Raised blood fat levels tied to heart disease

May 7, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, May 7 (ANI): Raised levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat, may be an important cause of heart disease, new genetic research suggests.

To reach the conclusion, Cambridge University boffins looked at the role of triglycerides, which is produced in the liver and derived from foods such as meat and dairy products, the Lancet medical journal reported.

According to the analysis of 350,000 people from 101 previous studies, those with higher levels of the blood fat were more likely to have heart disease.

Lead researcher Dr Nadeem Sarwar said the findings suggested the blood fat could be causing heart disease in some way, reports The BBC.

“Such trials should help establish whether lowering triglyceride levels can reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Mike Knapton, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “It could yet prove to be an important step towards tackling cardiovascular disease but we mustn”t get ahead of ourselves.

“There still needs to be larger trials before we can know whether lowering triglyceride levels can reduce heart disease risks.

“For now, people should continue to follow advice on diet, exercise, stopping smoking and medication which are still the best ways to tackle your heart disease risk.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: bbc, boffins, British Heart Foundation, cambridge university, cardiovascular disease, cause of heart disease, dairy products, Diet Exercise, heart disease, heart disease risk, Heart Disease Risks, Knapton, lancet medical journal, liver, Lowering Triglyceride Levels, Nadeem Sarwar, New Genetic Research, risk of heart disease, Stopping Smoking, triglycerides

Patient’s daughter testifies at Patel trial

March 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

The daughter of a man who died after undergoing surgery by Jayant Patel has testified at the doctor’s manslaughter trial in Brisbane.

Patel, 59, the former chief of surgery at Bundaberg hospital, has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully killing three patients and causing grievous bodily harm to a fourth.

One of his alleged victims was Mervyn Morris, 75, who died three weeks after surgery in 2003 from a combination of factors including malnutrition.

His daughter Vicki Whitfield has testified at Patel’s Supreme Court trial about her father’s deteriorating health after the operation.

Ms Whitfield told the court she spoke to Patel about his plan to perform the major bowel operation.

“I asked him if he could possibly be bleeding from anywhere else, maybe the liver? He said ‘no’,” she said.

“He wanted to do a bowel resection. We thought that was pretty dramatic.

“We asked if that would stop the bleeding and he said ‘yes’.”

Patel allegedly told Ms Whitfield her father would be out of hospital in a week.

Instead, Mr Morris died an undignified death three weeks later, vomiting faeces that were aspirated into his lungs in his final hours.

Ms Whitfield told the court her father had been unable to eat after the operation, so she had asked Patel if she could bring him energy-rich drinks.

But he got worse, so she said she made another suggestion to Patel.

“We asked him, ‘could he have a feed tube?’ He couldn’t drink the Sustagen, he was really struggling,” she said.

She told the court, Patel agreed about the feeding tube.

“Dr Patel also said that he thought Dad would have been better by now,” she said.

“He thought he would have been over it in a couple of days but because of his age he wasn’t coping with it very well.”

The court has heard that along with the operation itself, poor post-operative nutrition was also listed on Mr Morris’s death certificate as a causal factor.

But Ms Whitfield told the court that when she raised concerns that her father’s feeding tube was not working properly, Patel pulled it out of his nose a bit and was optimistic it would be OK.

On the morning her father died, Ms Whitfield told the court: “I asked Dr Patel, ‘how come it’s got to this point that my father is in the ICU?’

“‘[He] looks like he’s dying, how did it get this bad?’”

She said Patel replied: “When I was putting the tube down, your father was vomiting, so he would have got some into his lungs. But we’ve given him some medication to fix that.”

The prosecution says Patel performed unnecessary and negligent surgery at a hospital not equipped to handle such major operations.

The trial has heard x-ray services were so lacking at the hospital that some reports were not available until after one of Patel’s patients had died.

Dr Emma Igras worked under Patel at the hospital in 2003.

Under cross-examination this morning from Patel’s counsel, Dr Igras told the court that during her time at the hospital, radiology services were “absent at times, delayed often”.

The court was shown a number of x-ray documents that showed there were long delays before doctors received reports from radiologists about their patients’ diagnostic x-ray pictures.

In one instance it was more than two months.

The court has also heard that Patel had restrictions placed on his licence in the US because of gross negligence, but staff at Bundaberg were unaware of this.

Patel has been quiet throughout the trial.

He enters court each morning holding his wife’s hand and does not respond to any questions from reporters.

The trial continues.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: alleged victims, Australia, Bowel Resection, brisbane, brisbane-4000, bundaberg-4670, Causal Factor, couple of days, courts-and-trials, Crime, dad, death certificate, drinks, faeces, Feed Tube, Feeding Tube, grievous bodily harm., jayant patel, law-crime-and-justice, liver, lungs, malnutrition, Manslaughter Trial, murder-and-manslaughter, Qld, Supreme Court Trial, Sustagen, whitfield

Alcohol is Pacific’s biggest problem drug

March 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

New research has revealed the Pacific region is facing a growing problem with alcohol.

The report, commissioned by the Australian National Council on Drugs, looks at drug and alcohol use in 16 Pacific countries including Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

The council’s executive director Gino Vumbaca says alcohol was the biggest problem drug across the board, followed by cannabis.

Mr Vumbaca says they are starting to see serious flow-on effects from alcohol abuse in the region.

“It’s similar to what we’re seeing in Australia,” he said.

“We’re seeing reports of alcohol-related violence and abuse. We’re seeing long-term health problems in terms of liver and heart conditions and damage, but we’re also seeing intoxication playing a part here,: he said.

“That’s proving to be a real risk for unsafe sexual practices.”

He has urged the Australian Government to intervene and says the alcohol industry also has a responsibility to help by providing expertise.

“It’s a common cry here, but it’s even harder in the Pacific to train and keep qualified people there,” he said.

“But we need that to actually start to get a better understanding of the dimensions of the problem and what the best solutions are to implement.

“You need people who’ve been trained in these health areas.”

He says until now there has been no clear indication of the effects of substance abuse there.

“There are some significant gaps in some countries on data, but at least we’re starting to get a much clearer picture on the harm caused by alcohol,” he said.

He says the Pacific countries are often forgotten in regional strategies and this issue has been no exception.

The report is being formally launched by the Federal Government today.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: alcohol, Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol Industry, Australia, australian government, best solutions, drug and alcohol, drug use, Drugs Alcohol, Executive Director, fiji, gaps, Gino, Health, Health Areas, heart conditions, intoxication, liver, long term health, pacific, pacific countries, Papua New Guinea, Regional Strategies, Samoa, sexual practices, substance abuse, Term Health Problems

Natalie Cole makes comeback after kidney transplant op

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): R andB singer Natalie Cole made a comeback to the stage and performed at a concert in Hollywood after fighting severe health conditions for almost a year.

“I really do have to say … it really is a miracle time. It’s a miracle night for me. I never thought I’d be standing here healthy and whole and 100 percent,” People magazine quoted her as telling the crowd present.

The singer was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in April last year.

Apart from treating the liver disease with chemotherapy, she also battled kidney problems later that year.

However, she was back with a bang at the Hollywood Bowl belting out hits like ‘This Will Be,’ ‘Our Love,’ and ‘Unforgettable’

She said: “My heart is very full tonight, and I know a lot of you know why. It’s just good to be back. You know what I’m saying?

“You know, things don’t always go the way we want it to. Things happen unexpectedly. You got to take the good with the bad.”

Cole also brought the attention of the audience to health problems.

She said: “One in eight people has kidney failure. That’s a lot of people and I never thought it would happen to me, but here we are.”

She described the phase she was ill as “a real tough journey.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: 100 Percent, ANI, April, attention, audience, bang, bowl, chemotherapy, cole, comeback, concert, crowd, disease, failure, Good, Health, Health Conditions, health problems, heart, hepatitis, hepatitis c, Hollywood, Hollywood Bowl, journey, kidney, kidney failure, kidney problems, kidney transplant, liver, liver disease, lot, love, magazine, miracle, natalie cole, night, people magazine, percent, phase, r andb, September, september 11, singer, stage, time, tonight, transplant, Unforgettable, Washington, way, Will, year

Armani ‘marvellously well’ after winning battle with hepatitis

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 11 (ANI): Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has said that he is feeling “marvellously well” after winning a long battle with hepatitis.

According to Ansa news agency, Armani, 75, who was at Vogue Fashion’s Night Out in Milan, Italy, and a perfume launch, said that his liver was in such good shape that he could stop taking the medicine he had been on.

Armani had revealed in May that he had been battling hepatitis, and after several missed public appearances in spring, and a gaunt appearance at the June Italian menswear shows, there were concerns about his health.

“I’m marvellously well, I beat my problem. The data about my liver are nearly perfect – some even better than perfect – such that I can stop taking my medicine,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

The tanned designer said he had also just returned from a long, relaxing vacation cruising around Croatia, Italy’s southern coast and the islands off Sicily before ending up at his home on the island of Pantelleria. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: Ansa News Agency, daily express, fashion designer giorgio, Gaunt Appearance, giorgio armani, Good Shape, Health, hepatitis, Italian Fashion Designer, launch, liver, London, medicine, menswear, milan italy, perfume, public appearances, relaxing vacation, Sep 11, Sicily, vogue fashion

Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke linked to liver disease

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): People can develop liver disease even when they are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke, according to a study.

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have found that exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common disease and rising cause of chronic liver injury wherein fat accumulates in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol.

For their study, the researchers exposed some mice to second-hand cigarette smoke for a year in the lab, and observed fat build-up in their liver cells, a sign of NAFLD that eventually leads to liver dysfunction.

The researchers focused on two key regulators of lipid (fat) metabolism that are found in many human cells as well: SREBP (sterol regulatory element-binding protein) that stimulates synthesis of fatty acids in the liver, and AMPK (adenosine monophosphate kinase) that turns SREBP on and off.

They found that second-hand smoke exposure inhibits AMPK activity, which, in turn, causes an increase in activity of SREBP.

More active SREBP results in more fatty acids getting synthesized, they say.

The result is NAFLD induced by second-hand smoke, according to the researchers.

“Our study provides compelling experimental evidence in support of tobacco smoke exposure playing a major role in NAFLD development,” said Manuela Martins-Green, a professor of cell biology, who led the study.

“Our work points to SREBP and AMPK as new molecular targets for drug therapy that can reverse NAFLD development resulting from second-hand smoke. Drugs could now be developed that stimulate AMPK activity, and thereby inhibit SREBP, leading to reduced fatty acid production in the liver,” Martins-Green added.

A research article describing the study has been published in the Journal of Hepatology. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: ''cause, acid, Acid Production, activity, adenosine, alcohol, alcoholic fatty liver, ampk, ANI, Article, binding protein, biology, build-up, California, cell, cell biology, cigarette, cigarette smoke, common disease, Development, disease, drug, dysfunction, evidence, exposure, fatty, fatty liver disease, green, Hepatology, human cells, increase, injury, journal, Kinase, lab, lipid, liver, liver cells, Liver Dysfunction, liver injury, Manuela Martins-, martins, metabolism, molecular targets, monophosphate, NAFLD, non alcoholic fatty liver, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, production, professor, protein, regulatory element, Research, result, Riverside, role, second hand smoke, September, sign, smoke, srebp, sterol, study, support, synthesis, Synthesis Of Fatty Acids, therapy, tobacco, Tobacco Smoke Exposure, turn, UCR, University, university of california riverside, Washington, work, year

Steve Jobs admits of a liver transplant

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

San Francisco, Sep 10(ANI): The Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, making his first public appearance since his return to work in June after six months’ medical leave, has admitted of a liver transplant.

Jobs admitted this on the sidelines of a press conference San Francisco, where he was announcing a new iPod nano.

“I’m very happy to be here. As some of you may know, about five months ago I had a liver transplant. I now have the liver of a mid-20 (-year-old) person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs. I wouldn’t be here without such generosity,” The Independent quoted Jobs, as saying.

“I hope all of us can be as generous and think about becoming organ donors,” he added.

Jobs was diagnosed with a rare, treatable form of pancreatic cancer in 2004. However, Apple had initially claimed that Jobs had a “common bug”, which eventually became a “hormonal imbalance”. A few days later Apple said the problem was “more complex” than he had thought.

The details of his medical problem were only made clear through documents leaked to the press, in which there were suggestions that Jobs had undergone a liver transplant in Memphis, Tennessee.

It is also said that Jobs had moved to Memphis due to the short transplant waiting list in Tennessee, and wanted to be near by if a liver became available. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ANI, appearance, apple, bug, cancer, car, car crash, conference, crash, executive, first public appearance, five months, form, generosity, hormonal, Hormonal Imbalance, imbalance, independent, ipod, Ipod Nano, June, leave, list, liver, Liver Transplant, medical leave, medical problem, memphis, Memphis Tennessee, mid, mid 20, Nano, New Ipod, Old Person, organ, organ donors, organs, Pancreatic Cancer, person, press, problem, return, San Francisco, Sep, sidelines, six months, Steve Jobs, tennessee, transplant, waiting list

Over-expressed protein may make non-invasive breast cancer invasive

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 9 (ANI): An over-expressed protein can convert active but non-invasive breast cancer into a different cell type, and thereby turn it into invasive breast cancer, according to scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The researchers say that overexpression of the protein 14-3-3? (zeta) launches a molecular cascade that removes bonds that tie the pre-malignant cells together, and hold them in place, converting them from stationary epithelial cells to highly mobile mesenchymal-like cells.

This epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is recognized as a crucial step in metastasis, the spread of cancer to distant organs that causes 90 percent of all cancer deaths.

“We have discovered a key molecular mechanism for the deadly transition of non-invasive breast cancer into invasive disease,” said senior author Dr. Dihua Yu.

The researchers have shown that the zeta protein teams up with the oncoprotein ErbB2, also known as HER2, in a two-hit process to convert normal mammary cells to invasive cancer cells.

The findings of the study also provided a biomarker in zeta to identify high-risk patients for more aggressive treatment before their noninvasive breast cancer converts to invasive disease.

The researchers also got new therapeutic targets among the components of the molecular pathway launched by zeta.

According to Yu, some drugs already aim at these targets.

In addition, they found a solution to a puzzling mystery about how a subset of non-invasive breast cancer with excessive presence of an ErbB2/HER2 develops into invasive breast cancer.

Earlier, the researchers showed that zeta is over-expressed in many other cancer types, like lung, liver, uterine, stomach cancers.

“Our findings might have broader implications relating to the mechanism of invasion and metastasis in other types of cancer,” Yu said.

The researchers said that it would be very challenging to target zeta by drugs because it also regulates other important proteins in normal cellular processes.

The study has been published in the journal Cancer Cell. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: addition, anderson cancer center, ANI, author, biomarker, breast, breast cancer, cancer, cancer cells, Cancer Deaths, cancer types, cascade, cell, center, D. Anderson Cancer, disease, distant organs, Dr. Dihua, emt, epithelial, ErbB, her, Her2, invasion, invasion and metastasis, invasive breast cancer, invasive cancer, journal, liver, lung, m d anderson cancer center, malignant cells, Mammary Cells, mechanism, Molecular Pathway, mystery, Non Invasive Breast Cancer, Noninvasive Breast Cancer, oncoprotein, Over-expressed, overexpression, pathway, percent, place, presence, process, protein, Sep, solution, spread, step, stomach, Stomach Cancers, study, subset, Texas, therapeutic targets, tie, transition, treatment, type, types of cancer, University, university of texas m d anderson cancer center, uterine, Washington, Yu, Zeta

Scientists identify bacterial strains that can clear algal toxins from drinking water

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 7 (ANI): Researchers at Robert Gordon’s University, Aberdeen, have identified novel bacterial strains capable of neutralizing toxins produced by blue-green algae in drinking water.

Blooms of blue green algae (cyanobacteria) are found in both fresh and salt water throughout the world.

They produce toxins called microcystins which are released into the water and are easily ingested by animals and humans by drinking, swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

Once in the body, the toxins attack liver cells causing acute and chronic poisoning.

Conventional methods for water treatment such as sedimentation, sand filtration, flocculation and chlorination do not remove microcystins.

The researchers at Robert Gordon’s University have identified more than ten bacterial strains capable of metabolizing microcystins, breaking them down into harmless non-toxic materials.

The bacteria, Arthrobacter sp, Brevibacterium sp and Rhodococcus sp were able to break down six commonly occurring microcystins.

Six of the strains were incubated in river water with variants of the toxin to simulate natural conditions. All six strains were able to degrade the microcystins.

“The costs of advanced water purification strategies are beyond most of the world’s population,” said Aakash Welgama, from Robert Gordon’s University.

“Using bacteria to remove microcystins from water provides a reliable, cost-effective purification system, which does not involve any use of harmful chemicals or any other substances harmful to the environment,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: Aakash, aberdeen, algae, algal, ANI, Arthrobacter, bacterial strains, bathing, blooms, Blue Green Algae, body, brevibacterium, chlorination, contaminated water, conventional methods, cyanobacteria, degrade, drinking, drinking water, environment, filtration, flocculation, harmful chemicals, liver, liver cells, Microcystins, novel, poisoning, population, purification, Purification System, Rhodococcus, river, river water, Robert Gordon, s university, salt, salt water, sand, Sand Filtration, sedimentation, September, swimming, system, Toxic Materials, toxin, toxins, treatment, University, use, Washington, water, water purification, Water Treatment, Welgama, world

Homeless man earns $400 a day begging Down Under!

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, August 24 (ANI): A homeless man in Sydney earns up to 50,000 dollars a year by begging.

According to reports, Ken Johnson, 52, makes his living at George and Market St, outside the Myer store in Sydney’s CBD, where he sits for up to 16 hours daily, seven days a week.

He says that he earns around 400 dollars from generous passers-by on a good day.

And even on slower days, he manages to pick up between 75 dollars and 150 dollars.

“I’d be really disappointed if I did a long Friday and I only had $250,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Johnson, who has been living on the streets “since the late ’90s”, as saying.

“I knock off when I feel like it, or if I’ve done brilliantly. But on those good days, you might be on such a high that you go for a few more hours and get a bit more money,” he added.

While Johnson did not reveal how much begging earned him last year, he did say that the donated money was stashed in a safe place, before being deposited in his bank account several times a week.

He said that some of the money was given to a friend.

The man who does not smoke, drink, or do drugs revealed that he was raising money to help the friend who needed a liver transplant.

He displays a sign that reads: “Needing support for major family exp(enses) including just heaps for medicine. Paying up is a big grind. Please leave me alone, if you are the abusive nasty sort.”

Johnson refuses to draw welfare because “it makes you feel like a cripple”.

An Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) spokeswoman said that many homeless people turned to begging because government welfare did not cover costs, and “for those who do receive income support, payments may be inadequate to meet the costs of temporary accommodation and food.”

“Of those who do sleep on the street, only a tiny minority choose to do so, as a lifestyle choice. For most people who are homeless, there is no choice,” she said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: accommodation, account, ACOSS, ANI, August, australian, bank, bit, CBD, choice, Council, cripple, daily, daily telegraph, day, drink, exp, family, food, Friday, friend, george, Government, Government Welfare, heaps, High, Homeless, homeless man, homeless people, income, Income Support Payments, johnson, Ken Johnson, Lifestyle, lifestyle choice, liver, Liver Transplant, Living On The Streets, man, market, medicine, Melbourne, minority, MONEY, myer, Needing, place, raising money, safe place, service, seven days, several times, sign, sleep, social, sort, spokeswoman, store, street, support, sydney, Telegraph, Temporary Accommodation, Tiny Minority, transplant, week, welfare, year

How to make a lung

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 18 (ANI): Scientists from University of Pennsylvania have shed light on how lungs are developed in the body.

They have identified a tissue-repair-and-regeneration pathway in the human body, including wound healing that is essential for the early lung to develop properly.

The researchers have also discovered two molecules in this pathway, Wnt2 and Wnt2b that play a key role in early lung development.

“We wanted to know the answer to a seemingly simple question: What is required to generate the lung in mammals?” said senior author Dr Edward Morrisey, Associate Professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

“Wnt molecules are important for lung growth and we think that some of the molecules in the Wnt pathway are needed to specify lung progenitor cells and if not enough cells are ‘told’ to make a lung, an animal develops a faulty, smaller organ or even no lung,” he added.

Understanding how a lung develops is important in treating or preventing a host of lung and pulmonary diseases in children.

In the developing embryo, the lung, pancreas, liver, thyroid, and stomach all come from the foregut region, which starts out looking like a long tube.

“These organs bud from this undifferentiated tube and go on to develop into specific tissue types. The lung is one of the last to bud off the foregut during development,” said Morrisey.

The team focused on the Wnt pathway to see where and when Wnt molecules were expressed along the foregut tube, even before the lung starts to become a recognizable organ.

They found that the Wnt proteins Wnt2 and Wnt2b are expressed in the cells surrounding the foregut, right where the lung will eventually form. When they are knocked out, the animals completely lacked lungs.

Morrisey surmised that Wnt2 and Wnt2b were required to specify the early progenitors for the lung in the foregut.

The Morrisey lab showed that activation of the Wnt pathway resulted in formation of lung progenitors in both the esophagus and stomach where they are normally excluded.

“The ability of Wnt to program esophagus and stomach endoderm to a lung fate points to the critical role this pathway plays in lung development and suggests the possible use of Wnt in generating lung epithelium from non-lung sources,” said Morrisey.

The findings are described this week in Developmental Cell. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: ability, activation, ANI, animal, answer, associate, Aug, author, biology, body, Bud, cell, Development, developmental, developmental biology, Dr Edward, Dr Edward Morrisey, embryo, endoderm, epithelium, fate, foregut, formation, generating, growth, host, human body, key role, lab, last, liver, lung, Lung Development, Lung Growth, make, mammals, medicine, molecules, organ, pancreas, pathway, Pennsylvania, pennsylvania school, professor, progenitor, progenitors, program, Pulmonary Diseases, question, region, right, role, school, school of medicine, stomach, team, thyroid, tissue, Tissue Repair, Tissue Types, tube, understanding, University, university of pennsylvania, university of pennsylvania school of medicine, use, Washington, week, Wnt, wnt pathway, Wnt Proteins, wound healing

Signalling pathway operational in intra-abdominal fat identified

July 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 15 (ANI): Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers and Germany-based University of Leipzig experts have announced the identification of a signalling pathway that is operational in intra-abdominal fat, the fat depot that is most strongly tied to obesity-related morbidity.

“Fat tissue in obesity is dysfunctional, yet, the processes that cause fat tissue to malfunction are poorly understood-specifically, it is unknown how fat cells ‘translate’ stresses in obesity into dysfunction,” said Dr. Assaf Rudich, senior lecturer from the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Ben-Gurion University.

Fat tissue is no longer considered simply a storage place for excess calories, but in fact is an active tissue that secretes multiple compounds, thereby communicating with other tissues, including the liver, muscles, pancreas and the brain.

Normal communication is needed for optimal metabolism and weight regulation, but in obesity, fat (adipose) tissue becomes dysfunctional, and mis-communicates with the other tissues.

According to the researchers, this places fat tissue at a central junction in mechanisms leading to common diseases attributed to obesity, like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The researchers highlight the fact that fat tissue dysfunction is believed to be caused by obesity-induced fat tissue stress: Cells over-grow as they store increasing amounts of fat. They say that this excessive cell growth may cause decreased oxygen delivery into the tissue; individual cells may die (at least in mouse models), and fat tissue inflammation ensues.

Excess nutrients, they add, may also lead to increased metabolic demands, and cause cellular stress.

The BGU and Leipzig teams collected fat tissue samples from people undergoing abdominal surgery, and identified a signalling pathway that is operational in intra-abdominal fat, the fat depot that is most strongly tied to obesity-related morbidity.

They say that the degree of activation of a signalling pathway from these individuals was compared with those of leaner people, those with obesity predominantly characterized by accumulation of “peripheral” fat, and those with obesity with predominant accumulation of fat within the abdominal cavity.

They found that the signalling pathway was more active depending on the amount of fat accumulation in the abdomen, and that it correlated with multiple biochemical markers for increased cardio-metabolic risk.

In their study report, they have revealed that the expression of one of the upstream signaling components, a protein called ASK1, predicts whole-body insulin resistance (an endocrine abnormality that is strongly tied to diabetes and cardiovascular disease), independent of other traditional risk factors.

The researchers have also shown that although non-fat cells within adipose tissue express most of this protein in lean persons, the adipocytes themselves increase its expression by more than four-fold in abdominally-obese persons.

“The importance of this study is not only in contributing to the understanding of adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity, but as a consequence, may provide important leads for novel ways to prevent the dangerous consequences, such as type 2 diabetes, of intra-abdominal fat accumulation,” states Dr. Iris Shai, a BGU researcher at the S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition and Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel.

The study has been published in the Endocrine Society’s the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: abdomen, abdominal, abdominal surgery, abnormality, accumulation, activation, adipose, adipose tissue, amount, ANI, ASK, Assaf, beer, ben, ben gurion university, ben gurion university of the negev, BGU, biochemistry, brain, Cardiovascular Diseases, cavity, cell, cells, center, clinical, clinical biochemistry, common diseases, communication, consequence, degree, delivery, department, depot, diabetes, disease, Dr. Iris Shai, dysfunction, dysfunctional, Endocrine, Endocrinology, excess, excess calories, excess nutrients, expression, fact, fat, fat cells, growth, Gurion, Health, highlight, identification, importance, inflammation, insulin, Israel, journal, July, junction, lecturer, leipzig, liver, malfunction, medical, metabolic demands, metabolism, morbidity, mouse, mouse models, Negev, normal, novel, nutrition, obesity, optimal, oxygen, oxygen delivery, pancreas, pathway, place, predominant, protein, regulation, report, researcher, resistance, risk, Rudich, S. Daniel Abraham International, senior lecturer, Sheva, signalling, society, Soroka, storage, storage place, stress, study, surgery, tissue, Tissue Inflammation, type, type 2 diabetes, understanding, University, University Of Leipzig, university of the negev, Washington, weight

Grapefruit derivative ‘prevents obesity’

July 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 14 (ANI): A new study on mice, conducted by University of Western Ontario researchers, has shown that grapefruit contains a substance that’s a natural fat fighter.

Derived from citrus fruit, particularly grapefruit, the substance has shown it can reduce weight gain and fatty particles in the body, Murray Huff of UWO’s Robarts Research Institute said.

The substance, a flavonoid – a bioactive molecule – called naringenin, shows promise as an inhibitor of conditions associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, he said.

In the study, one group of mice was fed a high-fat diet to induce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. A second group was fed the exact same diet and treated with naringenin.

Naringenin corrected the elevations in triglyceride and cholesterol, prevented the development of insulin resistance and completely normalized glucose metabolism.

The researchers found it worked by genetically reprogramming the liver to burn up excess fat, rather than store it.

“Furthermore, the marked obesity that develops in these mice was completely prevented by naringenin,” said Huff.

“What was unique about the study was that the effects were independent of caloric intake, meaning the mice ate exactly the same amount of food and the same amount of fat. There was no suppression of appetite or decreased food intake, which are often the basis of strategies to reduce weight gain and its metabolic consequences,” Huff added.

This study investigated naringenin’s preventative properties, but Huff is also investigating whether it can treat obesity and other existing metabolic problems.

The findings are published online in the journal Diabetes. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: amount, ANI, appetite, basis, body, caloric intake, cholesterol, Citrus Fruit, derived, Development, diabetes, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, diet, disease, elevations, fat, fatty, fighter, flavonoid, food, food intake, fruit, gain, glucose, Glucose Metabolism, grapefruit, group, huff, inhibitor, institute, insulin, insulin resistance, intake, journal, journal diabetes, July, liver, Metabolic Consequences, Metabolic Problems, metabolic syndrome, metabolism, molecule, Murray Huff, naringenin, obesity, Online, Ontario Researchers, promise, Research, resistance, Robarts, robarts research institute, Second Group, store, study, substance, suppression, syndrome, triglyceride, type, type 2 diabetes, University, university of western ontario, UWO, Washington, weight, Western Ontario

How obesity leads to diabetes

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 9 (ANI): Monash University researchers have found how obesity leads to type 2 diabetes – a finding that could lead to the design of a drug to prevent the disease.

Though obesity is associated as a leading cause of diabetes, no one has understood the exact mechanism of how obesity inhibits the body’s ability to use insulin leading to type 2 diabetes until now.

Now, the research team, led by Associate Professor Matthew Watt, discovered that fat cells release a novel protein called PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor), which triggers a chain of events and interactions that lead to development of Type 2 diabetes.

“When PEDF is released into the bloodstream, it causes the muscle and liver to become desensitised to insulin. The pancreas then produces more insulin to counteract these negative effects, ” Watt said.

“This insulin release causes the pancreas to become overworked, eventually slowing or stopping insulin release from the pancreas, leading to Type 2 diabetes.

“It appears that the more fat tissue a person has the less sensitive they become to insulin. Therefore a greater amount of insulin is required to maintain the body’s regulation of blood-glucose.

“Our research was able to show that increasing PEDF not only causes Type 2 diabetes like complications but that blocking PEDF reverses these effects. The body again returned to being insulin-sensitive and therefore did not need excess insulin to remain regulated,” Watt added.

The findings were published today in respected journal Cell Metabolism. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: ''cause, ability, amount, ANI, associate, associate professor, bloodstream, body, cause diabetes, Cause Of Diabetes, cell, Cell Metabolism, chain, design, Development, diabetes, Diabetes Complications, disease, drug, exact mechanism, Excess Insulin, factor, fat cells, insulin, Insulin Release, journal, July, liver, mechanism, metabolism, Monash, monash university, muscle, novel, Novel Protein, obesity, pancreas, PEDF, person, pigment, Professor Matthew, Professor Matthew Watt, protein, regulation, Regulation Of Blood Glucose, release, Research, team, tissue, today, type, type 2 diabetes, Type Diabetes, University, university researchers, Washington

Hepatitis B virus mutations may help predict liver cancer risk

July 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 3 (ANI): Scientists from Second Military Medical University in Shanghai have revealed that mutations in the DNA of hepatitis B virus (HBV) might help predict which patients are at increased risk of developing liver cancer,

HBV infection is a known cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.

During the research, the team analysed 43 studies with a total of 11,582 HBV-infected participants, of whom 2,801 had HCC.

They found that certain mutations were associated with development of HCC, and more prevalent as chronic HBV infection progressed from the asymptomatic state to liver cirrhosis or HCC.

“Frequent examination of patients with chronic HBV infections for the presence of these mutations may be useful for identifying which patients require preventive antiviral treatment and for the prediction of HCC,” wrote the authors.

The study appears in Journal of the National Cancer Institute. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: ''cause, ANI, antiviral treatment, cancer, cancer research, cancer risk, carcinoma, Chronic Hbv Infection, Development, dna, examination, form, frequent examination, HBV, HBV-infected, HCC, hepatitis, hepatitis b, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis Virus, hepatocellular, infection, institute, journal, Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, July, liver, liver cancer, Liver Cirrhosis, Liver Infection, medical, military, mutations, national, national cancer institute, prediction, presence, Research, risk, Second, second military medical university, shanghai, state, study, team, total, treatment, University, virus, Washington

Expert says swine flu child toll will double in next year

July 2, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Melbourne, July 2 (ANI): A leading expert on swine flu has warned that twice as many children will die of the disease in the next 12 months compared to the number of deaths from regular influenza.

Professor Robert Booy, however, said the number of deaths would still be fairly small – around 10 or 12 in a year.

Three to six children die every year from regular influenza. It (death from swine flu) can occur in a healthy child although most of them we believe will occur in a child with a problem, say a chronic heart problem, long-standing lung, kidney, liver (problems) or diabetes,” Professor Booy told ABC radio.

“The likelihood is with this virus we’ll see more of the small number of severe (cases) than we do normally.”

Yesterday a three-year-old Victorian boy with swine flu died. The family requested the boy’s medical history not be released.

Prof Booy is the co-director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: 12 months, abc, abc radio, ANI, Booy, boy, centre, child, children, co director, death, deaths, diabetes, die, disease, diseases, expert, family, Flu, heart, heart problem, history, hospital, immunisation, influenza, July, kidney, likelihood, liver, Liver Problems, lung, medical history, Melbourne, national, number, preventable, problem, prof, Professor Booy, Professor Robert, Professor Robert Booy, radio, Research, s hospital, surveillance, Swine Flu, sydney, toll, vaccine, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, virus, Westmead, year, yesterday

Novel peptide nanoparticles to fight fatal brain infections

June 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, June 29 (ANI): New peptide nanoparticles developed by researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of Singapore could pave the way for new methods of drug and gene delivery for the treatment of meningitis and drug-resistant bacteria and fungal infections.

The stable bioengineered nanoparticles effectively seek out and destroy bacteria and fungal cells that could cause fatal infections and are highly therapeutic.

Major brain infections like meningitis and encephalitis are leading causes of death, hearing loss, learning disability, and brain damage in patients.

Conversely, the peptide nanoparticles contain a membrane-penetrating component that enables them to pass through the blood brain barrier to the infected areas of the brain that require treatment.

IBN’s peptide nanoparticles can traverse the blood brain barrier, thereby offering a superior alternative to existing treatments for brain infections.

The brain membrane is impenetrable to most conventional antibiotics because the molecular structure of most drugs is too big to enter the membrane.

“Our treatment damages the structure of the pathogen and literally breaks it apart,” Nature magazine quoted Dr. Yiyan Yang, group leader at IBN, as saying.

He added: “Our oligopeptide has a unique chemical structure that forms nanoparticles with membranepenetrating components on their surface. These nanoparticles can easily enter bacteria, yeast or fungal cells and destabilize them to cause cell death. For example, the nanoparticles cause damage to bacteria cell walls and prevent further bacterial growth.”

The researchers have demonstrated that these engineered peptide nanoparticles have high anti-microbial activity and are highly effective in killing microbes.

In addition, the peptide nanoparticles are more powerful in inhibiting the growth of fungal infections than conventionally available anti-fungal drugs such as fluconazole and amphotericin B.

“We are able to kill bacteria better than conventional antibiotics. By attacking the cellular structure of the microbes, our nanoparticles can be used to successfully combat persistant bacterial infections,” added IBN scientist Dr. Lihong Liu.

Pre-clinical tests have shown that IBN’s peptide nanoparticles are biocompatible, and cause no damage to the liver or kidneys at tested doses.

Highly anti-infective, the therapeutic doses of the peptide nanoparticles are expected to be safe for use because they also do not damage red blood cells.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: activity, addition, alternative, amphotericin, Amphotericin B, ANI, Anti Fungal Drugs, areas of the brain, barrier, Bioengineering, blood, blood brain barrier, brain, brain damage, Brain Membrane, cell, chemical, component, Conventional Antibiotics, damage, death, delivery, disability, Dr. Yiyan, Dr. Lihong, drug, Drug Resistant Bacteria, example, Fatal Brain, fatal infections, fluconazole, fungal, Fungal Cells, gene, Gene Delivery, group, growth, hearing, highly, ibn, institute, institute of bioengineering, institute of bioengineering and nanotechnology, journal, June, leader, Learning Disability, Liu, liver, London, loss, magazine, Major, membrane, microbial activity, nanotechnology, Nature, New, novel, Novel Peptide, oligopeptide, pathogen, peptide, persistant, Pre-clinical, scientist, Singapore, structure, study, surface, traverse, treatment, Treatment Of Meningitis, use, way, yang, Yang Group, yeast

Artificial liver, skin, intestine to revolutionise drug trials

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 26 (ANI): While animal drug trials have been facing huge criticism from ethical groups, scientists have now created artificial organs like liver, skin, intestine and windpipe that may revolutionise the way new medicines are being tested.

Developed by Professor Heike Mertsching of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart, in collaboration with Dr. Johanna Schanz, the test system should in future give pharmaceutical companies greater security and shorten the path to new drugs.

“Our artificial organ systems are aimed at offering an alternative to animal experiments. Particularly as humans and animals have different metabolisms. 30 per cent of all side effects come to light in clinical trials,” said Mertsching.

“The special feature, in our liver model for example, is a functioning system of blood vessels. This creates a natural environment for cells,” said Schanz.

Traditional models do not have this, and the cells become inactive.

“We don’t build artificial blood vessels for this, but use existing ones – from a piece of pig’s intestine,” said Schanz.

They remove all of the pig cells, but preserve the blood vessels. Then the human cells are seeded onto hepatocytes, which are responsible for transforming and breaking down drugs, and endothelial cells, which act as a barrier between blood and tissue cells.

In order to simulate blood and circulation, the researchers put the model into a computer-controlled bioreactor with flexible tube pump, developed by the IGB.

Thus the nutrient solution is fed in and carried away in the same way as in veins and arteries in humans.

“The cells were active for up to three weeks. This time was sufficient to analyze and evaluate the functions. A longer period of activity is possible, however,” said Schanz.

The researchers concluded that the cells work in a similar way to those in the body-they detoxify, break down drugs and build up proteins.

These are important pre-conditions for drug tests or transplants, as the effect of a substance can change when transformed or broken down.

Many drugs are only metabolised into their therapeutic active form in the liver, while others can develop poisonous substances.

The researchers have demonstrated the basic possibilities for use of the tissue models – liver, skin, intestine and windpipe.

Right now, the researchers are examining the test system, which could provide a safer alternative to animal experiments within two years. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: activity, alternative, ANI, animal, Animal Drug, artificial, Artificial Blood Vessels, Artificial Liver, Artificial Organ, Artificial Organs, barrier, bioreactor, Biotechnology, Biotechnology Igb, blood, Blood And Circulation, cells work, cent, circulation, collaboration, criticism, detoxify, Dr. Johanna Schanz, drug, effect, endothelial, endothelial cells, engineering, environment, example, feature, Flexible Tube, form, Fraunhofer, human cells, IGB, institute, Interfacial, Interfacial Engineering, intestine, June, liver, model, New Drugs, new medicines, nutrient, Nutrient Solution, order, organ, path, period, piece, pig, Pig Cells, Professor Heike Mertsching, pump, revolutionise, security, side, skin, solution, Stuttgart, substance, system, test, time, tissue, tissue cells, traditional, traditional models, tube, use, Veins And Arteries, Washington, way, windpipe

Priest reads cancer-stricken Fawcett ‘her last rites’

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 25 (ANI): A priest was reportedly summoned to Farrah Fawcett’s bedside to read the cancer-stricken actress her last rites.

The former Charlie’s Angels star was rushed to a California hospital again earlier this week as she continues to battle anal cancer.

A priest was said to have read the devout Catholic her last rites in intensive care on June 24, reports Contactmusic.

According to TV news show Extra, Fawcett’s 90-year-old father, James, was allegedly rushing to be with his daughter while her partner, Ryan O’Neal, was apparently trying to arrange a temporary jail release for the pair’s son Redmond so he can join family and friends at his mother’s bedside.

Fawcett was hospitalised in April for internal bleeding not related to her disease, which had spread to her liver. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: Actress, Anal Cancer, california hospital, cancer-stricken, charlie s angels, devout catholic, extra, family and friends, Farrah Fawcett, intensive care, jail release, June 24, last rites, liver, partner, ryan o neal, tv news

‘Chemical nose’ can sniff out cancer

June 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington. June 23 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a ‘chemical nose’ that can sniff out cancer.

The revolutionary tool contains an array of nanoparticles and polymers that differentiate not only between healthy and cancerous cells but also between metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells.

Currently, detecting cancer via cell surface biomarkers has taken what’s known as the “lock and key” approach.

However, this method includes foreknowledge of the biomarker.

“Our new method uses an array of sensors to recognize not only known cancer types, but it signals that abnormal cells are present,” said chemist Vincent Rotello, who conducted the research with cancer specialist Joseph Jerry.

“That is, the chemical nose can simply tell us something isn’t right, like a ‘check engine light,’ though it may never have encountered that type before,” he added.

Further, the chemical nose can be designed to alert doctors of the most invasive cancer types, those for which early treatment is crucial.

The study conducted using four human cancer cell lines (cervical, liver, testis and breast), as well as in three metastatic breast cell lines, and in normal cells showed that the new detection technique correctly indicated not only the presence of cancer cells in a sample but also identified primary cancer vs. metastatic disease.

Rotello’s research team, with colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology, designed the new detection system by combining three gold nanoparticles that have special affinity for the surface of chemically abnormal cells, plus a polymer known as PPE, or para-phenyleneethynylene.

As the ‘check engine light,’ PPE fluoresces or glows when displaced from the nanoparticle surface.

The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: abnormal cells, academy, affinity, Amherst, ANI, approach, array, biomarker, bioMarkers, breast, cancer, cancer cell, cancer cells, cancer specialist, cancer types, cancerous cells, cell, check, chemical, chemist, detection, disease, engine, foreknowledge, Georgia, georgia institute of technology, gold nanoparticles, Human Cancer, institute, invasive cancer, Joseph Jerry, journal, journal proceedings, June, liver, lock, massachusetts, Metastatic Cancer, method, nanoparticle, national, National Academy of Sciences, nose, Online, Polymer, PPE, presence, proceedings, proceedings of the national academy, proceedings of the national academy of sciences, Research, revolutionary tool, right, Rotello, sample, something, specialist, study, surface, system, team, technique, Technology, the, tool, treatment, type, University, university of massachusetts amherst, vincent, Washington

Raised blood fat levels tied to heart disease

Patient’s daughter testifies at Patel trial

Alcohol is Pacific’s biggest problem drug

Natalie Cole makes comeback after kidney transplant op

Armani ‘marvellously well’ after winning battle with hepatitis

Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke linked to liver disease

Over-expressed protein may make non-invasive breast cancer invasive

Scientists identify bacterial strains that can clear algal toxins from drinking water

How to make a lung

Signalling pathway operational in intra-abdominal fat identified

How obesity leads to diabetes

Hepatitis B virus mutations may help predict liver cancer risk

Expert says swine flu child toll will double in next year

Artificial liver, skin, intestine to revolutionise drug trials

Priest reads cancer-stricken Fawcett ‘her last rites’

‘Chemical nose’ can sniff out cancer

Search More News

Technology News

Ads