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Sodas, processed foods can accelerate signs of aging

April 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 27 (ANI): High levels of phosphate in sodas and processed foods can accelerate the aging process in mice and contribute to age-associated complications such as chronic kidney disease, claims a new study.

The study has been published in the FASEB Journal.

“Humans need a healthy diet and keeping the balance of phosphate in the diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity,” said M. Shawkat Razzaque, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. “Avoid phosphate toxicity and enjoy a healthy life.”

To reach the conclusion, Razzaque and colleague examined the effects of high phosphate levels in three groups of mice. The first group of mice was missing a gene (klotho), which when absent, causes mice to have toxic levels of phosphate in their bodies. These mice lived 8 to 15 weeks.

The second group of mice was missing the klotho gene and a second gene (NaPi2a), which when absent at the same time, substantially lowered the amount of phosphate in their bodies. These mice lived to 20 weeks. The third group of mice was like the second group (missing both the klotho and NaPi2a genes), except they were fed a high-phosphate diet. All of these mice died by 15 weeks, like those in the first group. This suggests that phosphate has toxic effects in mice, and may have a similar effect in other mammals, including humans.

“Soda is the caffeine delivery vehicle of choice for millions of people worldwide, but comes with phosphorous as a passenger” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. “This research suggests that our phosphorous balance influences the aging process, so don”t tip it.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: aging process, chronic kidney disease, Delivery Vehicle, faseb journal, genes, Gerald Weissmann, harvard school of dental medicine, healthy diet, infection and immunity, klotho gene, longevity, mammals, mice, phosphate, Second Group, Shawkat, Sodas, third group, toxic effects, toxic levels

Green tea may help improve bone health

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 17 (ANI): Green tea may help improve bone health, researchers in Hong Kong have reported.

The boffins found that the tea contains a group of chemicals that can stimulate bone formation and help slow its breakdown.

The study has been published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

In the study, Ping Chung Leung and colleagues noted that many scientific studies have linked tea to beneficial effects in preventing cancer, heart disease, and other conditions.

To reach the conclusion, scientists exposed a group of cultured bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) to three major green tea components – epigallocatechin (EGC), gallocatechin (GC), and gallocatechin gallate (GCG) – for several days. They found that one in particular, EGC, boosted the activity of a key enzyme that promotes bone growth by up to 79 percent. EGC also significantly boosted levels of bone mineralization in the cells, which strengthens bones.

The scientists also showed that high concentrations of ECG blocked the activity of a type of cell (osteoclast) that breaks down or weakens bones. The green tea components did not cause any toxic effects to the bone cells, they noted. (ANI)

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New pill shows promise in fighting fleas and ticks in dogs and cats

June 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 29 (ANI): A new once-in-the-month pill has been found to be effective in controlling both fleas and ticks in dogs and cats, say researchers.

Peter Meinke and colleagues at Merck Research Laboratories obtained the flea and tick fighter from a substance found in a fungus.

“(The substance) has the potential to usher in a new era in the treatment of ecoparasitic [ticks and fleas, for instance] infestations in companion animals,” Live Science quoted the researchers as saying.

When tested on dogs and cats, a single dose of the new pill was found to be 100 percent effective in protecting against fleas and ticks for a month.

Moreover, there were no signs of toxic effects on the animals.

The findings appear in Journal of the Medicinal Chemistry. (ANI)

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Kids’ susceptibility to pesticides’ toxic effects extends much longer into childhood than expected

June 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 24 (ANI): The risk of toxic effects of pesticides on kids extends much longer into childhood than expected, reveals a new study at the University of California, Berkeley.

Newborns’ levels of an enzyme called paraoxonase 1 (PON1), critical to the detoxification of organophosphate pesticides, average one-third or less than those of the babies’ mothers.

It was earlier believed that PON1 enzyme activity in children approaches adult levels by age 2.

But the researchers have now found that the enzyme level remains low in some individuals through age 7.

On the basis of their findings, the researchers have recommended that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re-evaluate the current standards for acceptable levels of pesticide exposure.

“Current EPA standards of exposure for some pesticides assume children are 3 to 5 times more susceptible than adults, and for other pesticides the standards assume no difference,” said Nina Holland, UC Berkeley adjunct professor of environmental health sciences and senior author of the paper.

She added: “Our study is the first to show quantitatively that young children may be more susceptible to certain organophosphate pesticides up to age 7. Our results suggest that the EPA standards need to be re-examined to determine if they are adequately protecting the most vulnerable members of the population.”

The study involved 458 children from an agricultural region who were followed from birth through age 7.

Cord blood samples were collected from all children to determine their PON1 genotype and to obtain baseline measures of the enzyme’s activity level.

The researchers observed that on an average the quantity of enzyme quadrupled between birth and age 7.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: acceptable levels, adjunct professor, adult levels, agricultural region, baseline measures, blood samples, cord blood, effects of pesticides, environmental health perspectives, Environmental Health Sciences, environmental protection agency, enzyme activity, epa standards, genotype, organophosphate pesticides, Pesticide Exposure, toxic effects, UC Berkeley, university of california berkeley, Vulnerable Members

‘Green fireworks’ to brighten American skies on 4th of July

June 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 23 (ANI): This time, the 4th of July will see ‘green fireworks’ brighten the skies in an eco-friendly way in the US, with researchers developing new pyrotechnic formulas that replace environmental pollutant in the firecrackers with nitrogen-rich materials that burn cleaner and produce less smoke.

Fireworks, flares and other so-called “pyrotechnics” traditionally have included potassium perchlorate as the oxidizer, a material that provides the oxygen that fireworks need to burn.

Perchlorate, however, is an environmental pollutant with potential adverse effects on people and wildlife. Pyrotechnics contain other ingredients, such color-producing heavy metals, with a similar potential.

Studies have shown that perchlorate from community fireworks displays conducted over lakes, for instance, can lead to perchlorate contamination of the water.

Researchers, however, have developed new pyrotechnic formulas that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke, according to an article in ACS’s weekly newsmagazine, Chemical and Engineering News (C and EN).

In the article, C and EN Associate Editor Bethany Halford says that these nitrogen-rich formulas also use fewer color-producing chemicals, dramatically cutting down on the amount of heavy metals used and lowering their potentially toxic effects.

Some of these fireworks have already been used at circuses, rock concerts and other events, but none have been used at large outdoor displays.

According to the article, the big challenge in launching these “eco-friendly” pyrotechnics into the sky is making them cost-competitive with conventional fireworks while maintaining their dazzle and glow. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 4th of july, american skies, associate editor, contamination of the water, engineering news, environmental pollutant, firecrackers, flares, halford, heavy metals, newsmagazine, nitrocellulose, outdoor displays, oxidizer, perchlorate contamination, potassium perchlorate, pyrotechnics, rich materials, Rock Concerts, toxic effects

How superbugs control their lethal weapons

May 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Toronto, May 25 (IANS) Some superbugs have seemingly evolved the ability to manipulate the immune system to their advantage.

A team of researchers from the University of Western Ontario, led by Joaquin Madrenas of the Robarts Research Institute, has discovered some processes that reduce the lethal effects of toxins from superbugs, allowing humans and microbes to co-evolve.

This discovery may lead to novel alternatives to antibiotics that specifically target the toxic effects of these superbugs.

Madrenas holds a Canada Research Chair in Immunobiology and is a professor of microbiology and immunology, and Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western.

Staphylococcus (staph) aureus is the leading cause of infections in hospitals and the second most common cause of infections in the general population.

By itself, it is linked to more than half a million hospital admissions a year in North America with estimated costs of more than $6 billion per year.

Among the many weapons produced by this superbug, the most potent and lethal ones are known as super-antigens. These lethal weapons cause massive and harmful activation of the immune system that leads to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).

TSS is a very serious disease that carries a high mortality, for which we do not have a specific treatment. Scientists have been puzzled as to why, when the body is directly exposed to the TSS toxins, a human can die within hours whereas those carrying toxin-producing staph do not get sick or die.

What has the staph bug got that prevents the immune system of the host from being kicked into high gear? Madrenas and his collaborators at Western, Calgary and Chicago have identified the process that allows the bug to stay in the body without causing that massive activation of the immune system, according to an Ontario release.

“It is clear that staph superbugs have developed strategies to control the toxicity of its lethal superantigen toxins, thereby preventing TSS,” said Madrenas.

Based on these studies, Madrenas and colleagues have developed a computer model that will help predict the outcomes of encounters between staph and a host, and will reveal new aspects of these encounters.

The findings are being published in Nature Medicine and are available online.

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Scientists identify processes that reduce lethal effects of toxins from superbugs

May 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 25 (ANI): Researchers at The University of Western Ontario have announced the discovery of some processes that reduce the lethal effects of toxins from superbugs, and, thereby, enable humans and microbes to co-evolve.

Lead researcher Joaquin Madrenas, from the Robarts Research Institute, believes that his team’s findings may pave the way for new alternatives to antibiotics that specifically target the toxic effects of these superbugs.

The researchers focused their study on staphylococcus aureus.

Simply known as staph, this superbug is the leading cause of infections in hospitals and the second most common cause of infections in the general population.

These bugs produce lethal weapons called superantigens that cause massive and harmful activation of the immune system that leads to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a very serious disease that carries a high mortality, for which there is no specific treatment.

Scientists have been puzzled as to why a person can died within hours when his/her body is directly exposed to the TSS toxins, while individuals may carry toxin-producing staph and not get sick or die.

Thus, Madrenas and his colleagues set out to determine what has the staph bug got that prevents the immune system of the host from being kicked into high gear.

His team’s efforts have led to the identification of the process that enables the bug to stay in the body without causing that massive activation of the immune system.

The researchers say that the secret lies in molecules found in the cell wall of staph, which bind to receptors known as TLR2 on immune cells of the host triggering the production of a protein called IL-10, an anti-inflammatory molecule that will prevent TSS.

“It is clear that staph superbugs have developed strategies to control the toxicity of its lethal superantigen toxins, thereby preventing TSS. We believe that this is an important mechanism that warrants continued investigation. It also illustrates that evolution may operate not only by competition but also by networking ultimately leading to peaceful co-existence,” Nature magazine quoted Madrenas as saying.

Based on their findings, his research group have also developed a computer model that will help predict the outcomes of encounters between staph and a host, and will reveal new aspects of these encounters.

The findings have been published in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine. (ANI)

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: antibiotics, immune cells, immune-system, lethal effects, lethal weapons, microbes, molecule, receptors, robarts research institute, second most common cause, staphylococcus aureus, superantigen, superbug, superbugs, toxic effects, toxic shock syndrome, toxin, toxins, university of western ontario, warrants

Gene therapy for Huntington disease on the anvil

April 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 21 (ANI): Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have come a step closer to using gene therapy for Huntington disease.

The team led by Kelvin J. A. Davies, professor of gerontology in the USC Davis School of Gerontology and professor of biological sciences in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences has found that a form of the gene RCAN1, known as RCAN1-1L, is dramatically decreased in human brains affected by Huntington disease.

“Our findings allow for the possibility that controlled over-expression of RCAN1-1L might in the future be a viable avenue for therapeutic intervention in Huntington disease patients,” said Davies.

The investigators also showed that increasing levels of RCAN1-1L rescues cells from the toxic effects of Huntington disease, a result that could someday lead to new avenues of treatment.

“Our discovery offers real hope and may even have wide-ranging implications for a variety of other important CAG repeat-related diseases,” Davies said.

“It is important to keep in mind that these protective findings are in-vitro, meaning in cell cultures,” said lead author Gennady Ermak, research associate professor at the USC Davis School of Gerontology.

“Further proof of protection by RCAN1-1L will be required in-vivo, or in actual Huntington disease patients,” Ermak added.

The study appears in Journal of Biological Chemistry. (ANI)

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High-dosage brachytherapy shows promising results in head and neck tumours’ treatment

March 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 29 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Navarra Hospital say that high-dosage perioperative brachytherapy can prove very useful in the treatment of head and neck tumours, and for reducing the period of radiation.

Brachytherapy is a radiotherapy treatment involving the placing of radioactive sources within the tumour or nearby.

The scientists say that their work describes the application of this new radiotherapy technique to 40 patients between 2000 and 2006.

A research article on the study suggests that it was the greatest number of patients treated with high-dosage brachytherapy for head and neck tumours in world medical literature.

The results suggest that after a seven-year follow-up, the illness was controlled in 86 per cent of the cases, and that the percentage of survival was 52 per cent.

The researchers revealed that their study concentrated on the treatment of tumours in the oral cavity, those affecting the tongue and the floor of the mouth, and those in the oropharyngeal region, such as tumours of the tonsils.

Doctor Rafael Martínez-Monge, Director of the Radiotherapy Department, revealed that the team analysed the application of brachytherapy as complementary post-surgery treatment.

Some cases of head and neck tumours require the application of radiotherapy after the surgical operation.

The researchers say that using this technique, they could intensify the radiation dosage with the goal of reducing relapse rates.

According to them, brachytherapy provides better end-result possibilities than conventional radiotherapy, as it enables the administration of doses that would not be easily achieved using other techniques due to toxic effects.

Given that the use in brachytherapy of high dosages involves a series of benefits for the patient as regards the overall treatment, Doctor Martínez-Monge points out that the great advantage is the reduction of total time.

While conventional radiotherapy treatment lasted seven weeks, administering part of the radiation through brachytherapy can take two weeks less.

The researchers say that this technique also manages to reduce the time of radiation compared to treatment with low dosage brachytherapy, thanks to the existence of new sources of radiation that help release the treatment in a matter of minutes.

The University of Navarra Hospital says that there are a number of studies under way on its use in gynaecological tumours and sarcomas, amongst others.

The current study has been published in Brachytherapy, official journal of the American Society of Brachytherapy. (ANI)

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Licorice ingredient may help treat cocaine addiction

February 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 19 (ANI): Researchers in Korea and Pennsylvania have claimed that an ingredient in licorice shows promise as an antidote for the toxic effects of cocaine abuse.

The study has been published in the January 2 issue of ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.

In the new study, Meeyul Hwang, Chae Ha Yang, and colleagues note that there is currently no effective medicine for treating cocaine abuse or addiction. Recent animal studies conducted by the researchers show that a licorice ingredient called isoliquiritigenin (ISL) can block the nervous system’s production of dopamine. That neurotransmitter is involved in emotion, movement, and other brain activities.

Cocaine and other addictive drugs stimulate dopamine and help produce the pleasurable and addictive effects. Drugs that block dopamine block this response.

To reach the conclusion, the scientists used rats as model animals to show that rats injected with ISL just prior to cocaine-administration showed 50 percent less of the behavioral effects associated with the illicit drug.

They also showed that ISL injections protected nerve cells in the brain from cocaine-associated damage. (ANI)

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Licorice ingredient may help treat cocaine addiction

February 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 19 (ANI): Researchers in Korea and Pennsylvania have claimed that an ingredient in licorice shows promise as an antidote for the toxic effects of cocaine abuse.

The study has been published in the January 2 issue of ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.

Cocaine and other addictive drugs stimulate dopamine and help produce the pleasurable and addictive effects. Drugs that block dopamine block this response.

They also showed that ISL injections protected nerve cells in the brain from cocaine-associated damage. (ANI)

Licorice ingredient may help treat cocaine addiction

February 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 19 (ANI): Researchers in Korea and Pennsylvania have claimed that an ingredient in licorice shows promise as an antidote for the toxic effects of cocaine abuse.

The study has been published in the January 2 issue of ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.

Cocaine and other addictive drugs stimulate dopamine and help produce the pleasurable and addictive effects. Drugs that block dopamine block this response.

They also showed that ISL injections protected nerve cells in the brain from cocaine-associated damage. (ANI)

Teen smoking ‘leads to depression in adult life’

January 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Jan 30 (ANI): Teenagers who smoke face a greater risk of developing depression in later life, according to a new study.

In the study conducted using mouse model, the researchers found that nicotine given to adolescent rats induced a depression-like state characterized by a lack of pleasure and heightened sensitivity to stress in their adult lives.

They believe that the discovery has important implications for humans.

“This study is unique because it is the first one to show that nicotine exposure early in life can have long-term neurobiological consequences evidenced in mood disorders,” said lead researcher and Psychology Professor Carlos Bolanos from Florida State.

“In addition, the study indicates that even brief exposure to nicotine increases risk for mood disorders later in life,” he added.

The researchers injected adolescent rats twice daily with either nicotine or saline for 15 days.

After the treatment period ended, they subjected the rats to several experiments designed to find out how they would react to stressful situations as well as how they would respond to the offering of rewards.

They found that rats that were exposed to nicotine engaged in behaviours symptomatic of depression and anxiety, including repetitive grooming, decreased consumption of rewards offered in the form of sugary drinks and becoming immobile in stressful situations instead of engaging in typical escape-like behaviours.

They were able to alleviate the rats’ symptoms with antidepressant drugs or, ironically, more nicotine.

Bolanos said that exposure has toxic effects in several brain regions and neurotransmitter systems at distinct periods of development.

Since the brain continue to develop throughout adolescence, the researchers theorize that nicotine may negatively influence these systems resulting in altered functionality later in life.

The study is published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. (ANI)

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Britain’s recession will be deepest, IMF warns

January 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Jan.29 (ANI): Britain’s recession will be deeper than any other major country this year, the International Monetary Fund warned today as the banking crisis continues to send shudders through the rest of the economy.
British gross domestic product will contract 2.8pc this year, a sharper and more painful decline than the IMF now forecasts for America, the Eurozone or Japan.

The new forecast compares with a prediction of a 1.3pc decline made in November.

The new forecast deals a blow to Prime Minister Gordon Brown who has insisted that the UK is no more exposed to the sweeping global downturn than other economies.

Critics have argued that the intensity of the decade-long housing boom, a failure of regulation and the size of losses accumulated by UK banks have left Britain deeper in the mire.

The IMF expects the US economy – where the sub-prime crisis began – to contract 1.6 percent; Japan to shrink 2.6 percent and the Eurozone to decline 2 percent.

Overall, the IMF expects the global economy to expand 0.5 percent – its weakest showing since the Second World War.

Economists at the IMF also estimated that bank losses might reach 2.2 trillion dollars, almost twice the 1.4 trillion dollars the organisation predicted in October.

The report warned today that: “unless stronger financial strains and uncertainties are forcefully addressed, the pernicious feedback loop between real activity and financial markets will intensify, leading to even more toxic effects on global growth.” (ANI)

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Sodas, processed foods can accelerate signs of aging

New pill shows promise in fighting fleas and ticks in dogs and cats

Kids’ susceptibility to pesticides’ toxic effects extends much longer into childhood than expected

‘Green fireworks’ to brighten American skies on 4th of July

How superbugs control their lethal weapons

Scientists identify processes that reduce lethal effects of toxins from superbugs

Gene therapy for Huntington disease on the anvil

High-dosage brachytherapy shows promising results in head and neck tumours’ treatment

Licorice ingredient may help treat cocaine addiction

Licorice ingredient may help treat cocaine addiction

Licorice ingredient may help treat cocaine addiction

Teen smoking ‘leads to depression in adult life’

Britain’s recession will be deepest, IMF warns

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