Tuesday March 31, 2009

Research from T. Yamamoto and co-researchers in the area of hepatocellular cancer published
NewsRx.com 03-31-09
According to a study from Nishinomiya, Japan, "Vitamin K-2 has been reported to suppress the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro and hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis in vivo. Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a unique nuclear targeting growth factor that is highly expressed in HCC cells and is a possible prognostic factor for patients with HCC."
"We investigated the regulation of HDGF expression by vitamin K-2. Three HCC-derived cell lines, HepG2, HuH-7, and SK-Hep-1, were used. Cell number was determined with the MTT assay. The expression levels of HDGF mRNA and protein were measured by the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and ELISA and Western blot analysis, respectively. The HDGF promoter activity was measured by a dual luciferase-reporter assay. Vitamin K-2 suppressed the growth of the three HCC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Vitamin K-2 significantly suppressed the expression of the HDGF protein and mRNA in three cell lines. By a luciferase assay, vitamin K-2 significantly suppressed the promoter activity of the HDGF protein. Based on some luciferase-reporter plasmids containing truncated promoter regions, the possible responsive site of vitamin K-2 seems to reside in the region -1 to -150 bp of the HDGF gene," wrote T. Yamamoto and colleagues (see also Hepatocellular Cancer).
The researchers concluded: "These findings suggested that regulation of the HDGF gene expression is one of the crucial mechanisms of vitamin K-2-induced cell growth suppression for HCC."
Yamamoto and colleagues published the results of their research in the Journal of Gastroenterology (Involvement of hepatoma-derived growth factor in the growth inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by vitamin K-2. Journal of Gastroenterology, 2009;44(3):228-235).
For additional information, contact T. Yamamoto, Hyogo College Medical, Division Hepatobiliary & Pancreat Medical, Dept. of Internal Medical, 1-1 Mukogawa Cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 6638501, Japan.
The publisher of the Journal of Gastroenterology can be contacted at: Springer Tokyo, 1-11-11 Kudan-Kita, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, 102-0073, Japan.
Keywords: Japan, Nishinomiya, Carcinogenesis, Cirrhosis, Diagnosis, Diagnostics, Enzyme Research, Enzymes, Enzymology, Fibrosis, Gastroenterology, HCV, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatocellular Cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Hepatology, Hepatomas, Infectious Disease, Luciferase, Oncology, Polymerase, Proteins, Proteomics, Reverse Transcriptase, Transcriptase, Viral, Virology.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=8081&Section=Vitamins

Death from colon cancer preventable

United Press International 03-31-09
LOS ANGELES, Mar 31, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment have greatly reduced the death toll from colon cancer, a U.S. researcher says.
"While colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, it is the most preventable major cancer," Dr. Randolph Hecht of the University of California, Los Angeles, says in a statement.
Hecht and colleagues said any persistent symptoms -- blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, weight loss, narrower-than-usual stools, abdominal pains -- should be reported to a doctor.
Researchers advise those at normal risk to begin having regular colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 50. However, those with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, other cancers or inflammatory bowel disease should talk to their doctor about starting screening sooner.
To lower colon cancer risk Hecht suggests:
-- Maintain healthy weight by eating a low-fat diet that includes leafy greens containing folate and other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and beans that provide between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day.
-- Drink alcohol in moderation and quit smoking. Alcohol and tobacco in combination is linked to gastrointestinal cancers.
-- Exercise at least 20 minutes three to four days a week.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=8078&Section=Disease

Hoofin' It: FDA Approves Blood Thinner Drug from Genetically Engineered Goats

by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) The FDA has issued its first-ever approval for a drug produced with ingredients from a genetically engineered animal.

The injectable drug, known as A Tryn, has received FDA approval to treat a rare genetic condition that causes the body to produce insufficient quantities of the naturally occurring blood-thinning protein antithrombin. The drug was produced by GTC Biotherapeutics using goats that had been genetically engineered to produce excess antithrombin in their milk, and will be marketed in the United States by Ovation Pharmaceuticals.

Scientists engineered the goats by modifying the section of the human genetic code responsible for producing antithrombin, then injecting those gene fragments into goat embryos. The genetically modified embryos were then implanted into surrogate goat mothers and raised to adulthood.

Antithrombin deficiency is a rare condition, affecting approximately one person in 5,000. Low levels of the protein can lead to the formation of clots in the blood, which can then travel through the body and lodge fatally in the lungs or brain -- 50 percent of patients experience at least one life-threatening blood clot before the age of 25. The condition also increases the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth in pregnant women.

Even with the new FDA approval, the disorder will continue to be treated primarily with conventional blood thinners, except in patients who are about to undergo surgery or childbirth.

Surgery and childbirth both significantly increase the risk of dangerous blood clots in patients with antithrombin deficiency.

The drug approval is the first since the FDA issued its guidelines in January for products made from genetically engineered animals. Under the new policy, all such products must be reviewed by a panel of independent experts at a public meeting before receiving final approval.

Critics have objected that such a process does not adequately assess the potential impacts of genetically engineered organisms on the environment, and does not require the labeling of products containing genetically engineered ingredients.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025956.html

Panel: All teens should be tested for depression
2 million in U.S. are affected but most are undiagnosed, task force says
The Associated Press Mon., March. 30, 2009
CHICAGO - An influential government-appointed medical panel is urging doctors to routinely screen all American teens for depression — a bold step that acknowledges that nearly 2 million teens are affected by this debilitating condition.
Most are undiagnosed and untreated, said the panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which sets guidelines for doctors on a host of health issues.
The task force recommendations appear in April's issue of the journal Pediatrics. And they go farther than the American Academy of Pediatrics' own guidance for teen depression screening.
An estimated 6 percent of U.S. teenagers are clinically depressed. Evidence shows that detailed but simple questionnaires can accurately diagnose depression in primary-care settings such as a pediatrician's office.
The task force said that when followed by treatment, including psychotherapy, screening can help improve symptoms and help kids cope. Because depression can lead to persistent sadness, social isolation, school problems and even suicide, screening to treat it early is crucial, the panel said.
The task force is an independent panel of experts convened by the federal government to establish guidelines for treatment in primary-care. Its new guidance goes beyond the pediatrics academy, which advises pediatricians to ask teen patients questions about depression. Other doctor groups advise screening only high-risk youngsters.
Because depression is so common, "you will miss a lot if you only screen high-risk groups," said Dr. Ned Calonge, task force chairman and chief medical officer for Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment.
Screening advised even for kids without symptoms
The group recommends research-tested screening tests even for kids without symptoms. It cited two questionnaires that focus on depression tip-offs, such as mood, anxiety, appetite and substance abuse.
Calonge stressed that the panel does not want its advice to lead to drug treatment alone, particularly antidepressants that have been linked with increased risks for suicidal thoughts. Routine depression testing should only occur if psychotherapy is also readily available, the panel said. Calonge said screening once yearly likely would be enough.
The recommendations come at a pivotal time for treatment of depression and other mental health problems in children.
Recently passed federal mental health equity legislation mandates equal coverage for mental and physical ailments in insurance plans offering both. The law is expected to prompt many more adults and children to seek mental health care.
Yet at the same time psychiatrists specializing in treating children and teens are scarce. A separate report, also released Monday in the Pediatrics journal, says primary care doctors including pediatricians and family physicians will need to get more involved in mental health care.
That report is from the pediatrics academy and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The groups say pediatricians should routinely consult with child psychiatrists, including working in the same office when possible. And it says insurers should compensate pediatricians for any mental health services they provide.
Pediatricians can play major role
Dr. Alan Axelson, a Pittsburgh psychiatrist who co-authored the second report, praised the task force recommendations and said pediatricians can play a key role.
Because children's families often get to know their pediatricians, having those doctors offer mental health screening can help make it seem less stigmatizing, Axelson said.
Most pediatricians aren't trained to do psychotherapy, but they can prescribe depression medication and monitor patients they've referred to others for therapy, he said.
Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said his group strongly supports both Pediatrics reports.
While primary care doctors have full plates just dealing with physical ailments, many recognize the importance of providing mental health services — and many already do, Epperly said.
It isn't always as time-consuming as it might seem; some screening questionnaires can be filled out by patients in the waiting room, Epperly said. Doctors can easily spot any red flags.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29945008/

Big Pharma's Latest Insanity? A "PolyPill" Combining Five Different Drugs Into One Pill

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) What do you get when you combine cholesterol medication, three different blood pressure drugs and aspirin into a single pharmaceutical pill? If you believe the drug company that funded its own study on this chemical cocktail, you get a wonder drug that has all the "benefits" of five different drugs with no more side effects than a single drug!

That's the story from Bangalore, India, anyway, where 2000 citizens of India were recruited into a clinical trial to test these drugs. The use of low-income citizens in developing nations as guinea pigs is now a common Big Pharma practice, by the way. It's cheaper than using Americans as guinea pigs, and the risk of lawsuits from harm or death is much lower in such countries.

According to the results of this study which was funded by the pharmaceutical company hoping to sell this drug, the study subjects taking the five medications in combination had no more side effects than those taking each medication individually.

And thus, it was declared that the more pharmaceuticals you take, the safer they become!

Is the MSM on drugs, too?

The Associated Press gushed all over this news, saying the Polypill has been "a dream for a decade," and that this company-funded clinical trial "proved the skeptics wrong."

The AP even quoted a doctor (Dr. Robert Harrington, spokesperson for the American College of Cardiology) as saying this Polypill should be part of President Obama's health care reform plan.

How do they know the Polypill actually improved health? They don't, really: They only know that it changed some numbers on laboratory reports: Blood pressure numbers and cholesterol numbers, namely. But did people actually live longer? Did they suffer fewer heart attacks? Did they experience improved circulation or bloodflow?

Of course not. Big Pharma almost never measures real-world effects in its studies -- it only measures "biomarkers" that greatly oversimplify the true causes of disease. High blood pressure, for example, is not a disease all by itself; it's merely a symptom of an imbalance that needs to be corrected on a fundamental level. Artificially lowering blood pressure does absolutely nothing to make a person healthier in the long run. In fact, it can cause greatly reduced circulation throughout the body.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025963.html

BBC NEWS
Polypill 'could become a reality'

A cheap five-in-one pill can guard against heart attacks and stroke, research suggests.
The concept of a polypill for everyone over 55 to cut heart disease by up to 80% was mooted over five years ago, but slow progress has been made since.
Now a trial in India shows such a pill has the desired effects and is safe and well-tolerated by those who take it.
Although The Lancet study is proof of concept, experts still question the ethics of a pill for lifestyle issues.
“ There is a danger that lifestyle factors could be overlooked in favour of 'popping a pill' ”
Mike Rich of UK charity the Blood Pressure Association
Critics say the problems of high blood pressure and cholesterol should be tackled with diet and exercise rather than by popping a pill.
The polypill used in the latest study combines five active pharmacological ingredients widely available separately - aspirin, a statin to lower cholesterol and three blood pressure-lowering drugs - as well as folic acid.
Does what it says on the tin
Trials on 2,053 healthy individuals free of cardiovascular disease, but with a risk factor such as high blood pressure or a long-term smoker, showed combining the drugs into one tablet delivered a similar effect to each drug separately.
Reductions were seen in both blood pressure and cholesterol without any major side effects.
WHAT'S IN IT?
·  Aspirin to thin the blood
·  A statin drug to lower cholesterol
·  Three blood pressure-lowering drugs: ACE inhibitor Diuretic Beta-blocker
·  Folic acid to reduce the level of homocysteine in the blood which is another risk factor for heart disease
The researchers believe that the combined action of all the components in their "Polycap" capsule made by Cadila Pharmaceuticals, could potentially halve strokes and heart attacks in average, middle-aged people.
On a global scale, this would save tens of millions of lives.
The study, led by Dr Salim Yusuf, from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, took in people at 50 centres across India.
A spokeswoman for the British Heart Foundation said: "The results suggest that the polypill has the potential to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
“ The polypill does exactly what it should, but no more ”
UK researcher Professor Simon Thom
"We now need further research to examine whether the polypill actually reduces mortality."
A UK team led by Professor Simon Thom of Imperial College London is hoping to do just this.
They have been testing a four-in-one polypill called the Red Heart Pill, with the backing of the Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation, which could cost as little as 15 euros per person per year.
Professor Thom said it would be at least five years before there was enough data to convince drug regulators to approve a polypill.
"Mounting evidence shows the polypill does exactly what it should, but no more, whereas exercise has wide reaching effects on health and wellbeing. So a polypill is an addition rather than a replacement for lifestyle interventions."
Mike Rich of UK charity the Blood Pressure Association said: "This study further stimulates the debate over whether a 'magic bullet' is the answer to the prevention of heart disease and strokes.
"Eating healthily and taking regular exercise are proven ways to lower high blood pressure - and have many other health benefits too - and there is a danger that these lifestyle factors could be overlooked in favour of 'popping a pill'."
Joanne Murphy of The Stroke Association said: "By combining these medications in one pill, it will make it easier for people to take their medication. However, it is important that more research and investigation is done into this pill to ensure its safety."
One GP, Dr Sarah Jarvis, said the pill should not be viewed as an alternative to improving lifestyles through diet and exercise.
"What we need to bear in mind is that this may well cut the likelihood of dying of heart disease dramatically. Fantastic. But it's not going to stop you getting arthritis, it's not going to stop you get lung disease," she said.

Herbal Medicines For Treatment Of Gastrointestinal Disease

ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2009) — Herbal medicines could benefit patients suffering from gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders that cannot be treated using conventional drug therapy. In a study published in Neurogastroenterology and Motility, researchers reviewed data on Japanese herbal medicines and found them to be effective in reducing the symptoms of GI disorders such as functional dyspepsia, constipation, and postoperative ileus.
"Japanese herbal medicines have been used in East Asia for thousands of years," says lead researcher Hidekazu Suzuki, Associate Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine. "Our review of the world medical literature reveals that herbal medicines serve a valuable role in the management of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders."
Many of the drugs used to treat GI motility disorders are ineffective or cause unwanted side effects and, in some cases, this has led to drugs being withdrawn from the market. Herbal medicine is an attractive alternative.
The researchers reviewed data from studies looking at the effect of several different Japanese herbal medicines including the use of Rikkunshi-to, Dai-Kenchu-to, and other herbal medicines. Rikkunshi-to, which is prepared from eight crude herbs, was effective in reducing discomfort caused by functional dyspepsia. Dai-Kenchu-to, a mixture of ginseng, ginger, and zanthoxylum fruit, was beneficial for constipation in children and patients suffering from post-operative ileus – disruption of normal bowel movements following an operation. Another herbal medicine, hangeshashin-to, reduced the severity and frequency of diarrhoea caused by anti-cancer drugs.
In Japan, herbal medicine is manufactured in standardised form with regards to quality and quantity of ingredients. The researchers say the health benefits of standardised formulations of herbal medicines require more rigorous examination, particularly in the Western world.
"There is a mandate to provide accurate data regarding the effectiveness of non-traditional therapy, not only to our patients but also to healthcare providers who face the dilemma of recommending or opposing management strategies that incorporate herbal medicine," says Suzuki.
Suzuki, H., Inadomi, J.M. and Hibi, T. Japanese Herbal Medicine in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders; Neurogastroenterology and Motility. Neurogastroenterology and Motility, 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2009.01290.x
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324200934.htm

Tocotrienol build-up in tumours ‘critical’ for anti-cancer benefits: Study

Nutraingredients.com, 31-Mar-2009

Tocotrienols, members of the vitamin E family, may exert their anti-cancer benefits by accumulating in cancer cells and delaying tumour growth, says a new study from Japan.
Both gamma- and delta-tocotrienols may accumulate in cancer cells, and promote the death of the tumours, according to data from in vitro and in vivo studies by researchers from Kyushu University.
The potential anti-cancer benefits of tocotrienols are not new, but the Japanese researcher claim that their study is the first to show accumulation of the compounds in cancer cells.
“These results, to our knowledge, are the first demonstration of specific accumulation of gamma-tocotrienol and delta-tocotrienol in tumours and suggest that tocotrienols accumulation is critical for the anti-tumour activities of tocotrienols,” wrote lead author Yuhei Hiura in the The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The vitamin E family
There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet.
Tocotrienols (TCT) are only minor components in plants, although several sources with relatively high levels include palm oil, cereal grains and rice bran.
While the majority of research on vitamin E has focused on alpha-Toc, studies into tocotrienols account for less than one per cent of all research into vitamin E.
New study
The Japanese researchers studied the effects of gamma- and delta-tocotrienol on mouse cancer cells (murine hepatoma Mh334) both in vitro and in vivo. For the cell study, the tumour cells were cultured in the tocotrienols, and they found that the delta-version inhibited cell growth more than the gamma-type. This was related to an induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death).
For the animal studies, the researchers used C3H/HeN mice and implanted the tumour cells. The animals were then fed a normal diet, or the diet supplemented with 0.1 per cent gamma-tocotrienol or 0.1 per cent delta-tocotrienol for four weeks.
At the end of the study, a significant delay in tumour growth was observed for both groups supplemented with the tocotrienols. No effects on body weight were recorded.
“Intriguingly, we found that tocotrienols was detected in tumour, but not in normal tissues,” wrote the researchers.
In terms of the added that the tocotrienols had no effect on levels of immunoglobulin levels in the animals, suggesting that the tocotrienols’ potential anti-cancer benefits were not related to immune function, “and that the anti-tumour effect may be due to the direct effect of T3 on tumour cells”, they said.
“In conclusion, our results suggested that accumulation is critical for the anti-tumour activity of tocotrienols.”
Source: The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2008.06.004
“Specific accumulation of γ- and δ-tocotrienols in tumor and their antitumor effect in vivo”
Authors: Y. Hiura, H. Tachibana, R. Arakawa, N. Aoyama, M. Okabe, M. Sakai, K. Yamada