General Health Information
Green Tea Bio-Chemical May Hold Promise for Treatment of Brain Disorders
Scientists at Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) and the University of Pennsylvania have found that combining two naturally-derived bio-chemicals (one from yeast and one of which is the green tea component EGCG) can prevent and destroy a variety of protein structures known as amyloids.
Amyloids are the primary culprits in fatal brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases. Their study, published in the current issue of Nature Chemical Biology (December 2009), may ultimately contribute to future therapies for these diseases.
"These findings are significant because it is the first time a combination of specific chemicals has successfully destroyed diverse forms of amyloids at the same time," said researchers from The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
For decades, a major goal of neurological research has been finding a way to prevent the formation of and to break up and destroy amyloid plaques in the brains and nervous systems of people with Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases before they wreak havoc.
Amyloid plaques are tightly packed proteins that infiltrate the brain. These plaques, which are stable and seemingly impenetrable, fill nerve cells or wrap around brain tissues and eventually (as in the case of Alzheimer's) suffocate vital neurons or brain cells, causing loss of memory, language, motor function and eventually premature death.
To date, researchers have had no success in destroying plaques in the human brain and only minimal success in the laboratory. One reason for these difficulties in finding compounds that can dissolve amyloids is their immense stability and their complex composition.
In the new study, the team decided to look in more detail at the impact of these two chemicals on the production of different amyloids produced by the yeast (amyloid protein known as PSI+.) They chose this yeast amyloid protein because it has been studied extensively in the past, and because it produces varieties of amyloid structures that are prototypes of those found in the damaged human brain. Thus, PSI+ amyloids are excellent experimental paradigms to study basic properties of all amyloid proteins.
The team's first step was to expose two different amyloid structures produced by yeast ( a high potency version and a low potency version) to EGCG. They found that the EGCG effectively dissolved the amyloids in the weaker version. They also found that the stronger amyloids were not dissolved and that some transformed to even stronger versions after exposure to EGCG.
The team then exposed the yeast amyloid structures to a combination of the EGCG and the DAPH-12 and found that all of the amyloid structures broke apart and dissolved.
The next steps for the research team will be to explore the mechanism and potency of such a combinatorial therapy for the treatment of diverse neurodegenerative diseases.
Source: the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
New Report Supports Omega-3 for Liver Health
Increased intakes of Omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources may benefit people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to a new report.
A review of four human studies found that the fatty acids could improve liver health and function, and increase insulin sensitivity in people suffering from fatty liver, a condition that is usually symptomless but said to increase the risk for liver inflammation, and ultimately results in liver failure.
Fatty liver is reportedly on the rise in the United States, with between one quarter and one half of Americans, and the prevalence if nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increased in line with the ongoing obesity epidemic.
Researchers from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Scotland, report their findings in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Previous studies have implicated Omega-3 in protective benefits against obesity-related conditions. A considerable number of studies already support the benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for cardiovascular health, and cognitive health. Other areas of potential for the fatty acids include mood and behaviour, eye health, cancer risk reduction, and improved infant development.
It is biologically plausible that Omega-3 fatty acids may improve liver health, said the reviewers because "they have several potential mechanisms of action, the most important being to alter hepatic gene expression, thereby switching intracellular metabolism from lipogenesis and storage to fatty acid oxidation and catabolism.
"There is also evidence that they improve insulin sensitivity, are anti-inflammatory and reduce TNF levels so offering several potential therapeutic mechanisms," they added.
Source: Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Published online: "Review article: Omega-3 fatty acids - a promising novel therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease"
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Soft Drink Consumption May Increase The Risk of Pancreatic Cancer
According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks.
Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly; Only 5 percent of people who are diagnosed are alive five years later.
Mark Pereira, Ph.D., senior author on the study and associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, said people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis, defined as primarily carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, tend to have a poor behavioral profile overall.
However, the effect of these drinks on pancreatic cancer may be unique.
"The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think coFor the study, a research team followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not.
No association was seen between fruit juice consumption and pancreatic cancer
The researchers noted, although the study was conducted in Singapore, the results are likely applicable to the United States. "Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent health care. Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries," they explained.
These study results are intriguing but have some key limitations that should be considered in any interpretation.
"Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it is a causal association or not. Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," explained an editorial board member of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Journal Reference: Soft Drink and Juice Consumption and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: The Singapore Chinese Health Study Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention
