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Monday, 10 July
23:20
Community Shares | July 10th 2023 SafeMinds
- According to a new study featured in the journal Pediatrics, children with disabilities are often ignored and devalued by doctors and other healthcare providers, which can potentially lead to substandard care. This research was based on interviews with parents of kids with complex medical needs. Parents reported their children were treated differently and provided limited accommodations when seeking medical treatment. Overall, they believed the main reasons for the discrimination their children experienced were rooted in limited knowledge about caring for juveniles with complex medical needs, coupled with a disinterest in providing care to children seen as unworthy and negative assumptions about a childs disability and quality of life.
- Recent research has investigated differences in autism symptoms between infants and toddlers with low familial likelihood of autism (LL) and those with elevated familial likelihood of autism (EL) due to the presence of an autistic sibling. The new study included children with autism symptoms recruited from the community, allowing for the inclusion of infants as young as 12 months. The findings suggest that EL infants and toddlers with autism symptoms had stronger nonverbal and verbal cognitive abilities than LL children with autism symptoms. Additionally, contrary to previous studies, the study found that EL infants and toddlers had milder autism symptoms than LL children. The study also highlighted novel insights into the prevalence of language delay among EL and LL children with autism symptoms, suggesting that EL status may be protective against disruptions to expressive language development but not necessarily receptive language development.
- Researchers have discovered an increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in children born with fetal inflammatory syndrome (FIRS) compared to those without FIRS....
23:10
Surprisingly, Hyperfocus Can Be a Feature of ADHD SafeMinds
ADHD Isnt Always About a Lack of Attention; Sometimes It Is a Difficulty Controlling Where Attention Goes
Some parents may find it hard to believe that their child has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), especially when they see their child focus intently on activities that interest them. However, hyperfocus, when someone pays intense attention to one activity, can be a feature of ADHD. Interestingly, ADHD is not just about a lack of attention but rather about the inability to control where attention is directed. When children with ADHD engage in activities they enjoy, they may become so absorbed that they lose track of time and have difficulty transitioning to other tasks. To combat this problem, clinicians suggest that children with hyperfocus receive assistance in shifting focus and completing tasks. They advocate for the use of visual schedules and visual cues to keep these children on track. Additionally, specialists point out that TV viewing and video games can become problematic for kids that exhibit ADHD with hyperfocus. These researchers suggest that the ventral frontal lobe of the brain shuts down while watching TV or playing video games. While it is unclear if this is harmful, this phenomenon is not actively exercising the mind, which is not optimal. Hyperfocus can be challenging, but experts highlight that it can also be a strength that drives kids to follow their passions and achieve great things.
The post Surprisingly, Hyperfocus Can Be a Feature of ADHD appeared first on SafeMinds.
23:00
This Week Dr. T with Dr. Astrid Stuckelberger Dr. Tenpenny
07-10-2023 Listen to audio here: If you prefer to watch rather than listen, click on the video below: https://drtenpenny.b-cdn.net/2023/07-10-23-TW-Astrid-Stuckelberger.mp4 About my guest: For more than 25 years, Dr []
23:00
Investigating Inattentive ADHD SafeMinds
Believe It or Not, Children Dont Have to Be Hyperactive to Be Diagnosed with ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. It is often thought of as a condition that primarily affects boys who are hyperactive, impulsive, and fidgety. However, the inattentive subtype of ADHD, characterized by being easily distracted, forgetful, and disorganized, is often overlooked. This subtype can be especially difficult to diagnose in younger children and may go unnoticed by educators most familiar with hyperactive and impulsive symptoms.
Symptoms of inattentive ADHD include:
- Failure to pay close attention to details
- Careless mistakes
- Difficulty maintaining sustained attention on disliked tasks (e.g., homework)
- Losing essential items (e.g., school materials, keys, cell phone)
- Not seeming to listen when spoken to directly
- Not following through on instructions and failing to finish schoolwork or chores
- Trouble staying organized
- Getting distracted easily
- Being frequently forgetful in daily activities (e.g., brushing teeth)
Parents can help their inattentive child at school by getting an evaluation, contacting teachers, and enlisting a neuropsychologist to advocate for academic accommodations. At home, creating a structured environment, establishing routines, and using visual aids can effectively manage symptoms. Encouraging a childs strengths and passions is important, as children with ADHD are often creative, excellent problem solvers, and outside-the-box thinkers.
The post...
20:00
Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, and Benzos All Increase Suicide Attempts in New Study Mad In America
A new study in JAMA Network Open found that antidepressants dont prevent suicide. The researchers concluded that antidepressants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepine drugs were all associated with increased suicide attempts in people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Mood stabilizers had no effect on suicide attempt rates. ADHD stimulant drugs were the only drug class associated with decreased suicide attempts.
Altogether, our data suggest that treatment with antidepressants, antipsychotics, or mood stabilizers does not appear to reduce suicidal behavior in patients with BPD, the researchers write.
In terms of actual deaths by suicide (rather than suicide attempts), stimulant drugs were associated with a decrease, while the other classes of drugs were not associated with any changeexcept for benzodiazepines, which were associated with a significant increase in deaths by suicide.
The researchers write: Alarmingly, treatment with benzodiazepines was related to a 4-fold risk increment in suicide completion in patients with BPD.
Johannes Lieslehto led a team of researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and Niuvanniemi Hospital, Finland, and at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. They included 22,601 people with BPD (84.3% women) from a nationwide Swedish database from 2006 to 2021.
The diagnosis of borderline
personality disorder is a contested construct that
many researchers and clinicians believe should be
eliminated from the DSM and ICD. The vast majority of people
diagnosed with BPD are women
who have experienced significant trauma, most commonly sexual
assault, and th...
20:00
Shocked and flabbergasted: Journal updates duplicate article it had said was sufficiently different from original Retraction Watch
A journal for conference proceedings which published a duplicate article has updated the later version, after originally telling the researcher who noticed the duplication that the articles were different enough to warrant publishing both.
The article, titled Production and storage of polarized H2, D2, and HD molecules, was published twice in the journal Proceedings of Science, in 2018 and in 2019. The first version represented proceedings from a talk given at the 2017 XVII International Workshop on Polarized Sources, Targets & Polarimetry in Kaist, South Korea; the second was from the 23rd International Spin Physics Symposium in Ferrara, Italy, held in 2018.
including more technical details about the studys methods.PoS, which is run by the International School for Advanced Studies based in Trieste, Italy, functions as a repository for various conference proceedings. It is run by a small staff, and each submission is reviewed by an individual conferences editorial board.
A researcher, who asked to remain anonymous, contacted PoS after coming across the two nearly identical versions of Production and storage of polarized H2, D2, and HD molecules. A journal representative first told the researcher that the journal would investigate the situation, then that the contributions differ sufficiently in order to warrant both their publication, according to an email seen by Retraction Watch.
Shocked and flabbergasted by this response, the researcher contacted Retraction Watch about the duplication and the journals decision to keep both articles published. The researcher told us:
Proceedings of Science denied the fact that a gross plagiarism was published in their journal and actually found it to be sufficiently different
In response to an email from Retraction Watch, Ralf Engels, the first author of the article, wrote that there was a simple explanation for the duplication. He said:
Both publications are proceedings of conference contributions. When I gave the corresponding talk on the first conference, I was asked to give the same talk at another conference too. For both conferences should wri...
17:00
The return of marketing hype for whole body scanswith AI! Science-Based Medicine
Two decades ago, I cut my skeptical teeth countering advertising for whole body scans by companies making extravagant promises for their products. This particular medical fad faded for a while, but now it's back with a vengeance...with AI! Looking at these products, what I see is basically the quackery that is functional medicine on steroids and powered by AI.
The post The return of marketing hype for whole body scanswith AI! first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.10:00
Can This Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your Kitchen? Articles
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) look like small flies or gnats. They can be a problem year-round, but are especially common in the summer and fall months. These pesky little flies seem to appear out of nowhere and multiply at a rapid pace. Fruit flies are attracted to the scent of ripened or fermenting produce. Adults reach about one-eighth inch in length and have red eyes.
They lay eggs near the surface of fermenting fruit or other organic materials. When the tiny larvae emerge, they feed on this fermenting mass. Given the opportunity, one fruit fly can lay 500 eggs and will complete a life cycle from egg to adult in about one week.1
The best way to avoid the issue is to eliminate the source. Any produce that is ripened should not be left on the counter, but either eaten, refrigerated or discarded. Any damaged portion of the fruit or vegetable should be cut away and discarded since it may contain eggs or larvae.
Once fruit flies have entered the house, all areas containing any rotting food must be located and eliminated. This includes where juice may have spilled under the refrigerator, or a potato is rotting at the back of a closet. After the source of attraction is eliminated, then it's time to get rid of the fruit flies that are in the house.
Fruit flies are just one potential challenge that can pop up at home. After discussing how to get rid of fruit flies without damaging chemicals, well dive into other healthy ways of managing home maintenance, cleaning and getting organized.
Fruit Fly, Dont Bother Me
While some advocate using a pyrethrum-based insecticide2 there are definitely healthier and more natural ways of getting rid of the annoying flying insects. The most popular method has been an apple cider vinegar trap.3
The trap is made by filling a bowl or glass with apple cider vinegar and covering the opening with plastic wrap. Poke small holes in the top and leave the container out to attract the flies. Fruit flies are attracted to the scent of apple cider vinegar and will enter the glass or bowl through the small holes in the plastic wrap. Once they're in, they can't get out.
Tom's Guide lists a few more ways of trapping fruit flies, including using dishwasher detergent with apple cider vinegar to decrease the surface tension so when they land on the apple cider vinegar they drown. Bottles of old beer and wine also attract fruit flies and because the bottleneck is narrow, they can't escape.
The U.S. Sun calls Sara Snell (TikTok HappyHome_withSara79) a savvy homeowner who may have made fruit flies a problem of the past.4...
Alkaline Water or Hydrogen Water Which One Is Better? Articles
Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published November 12, 2018.
Alkaline water is experiencing a resurgence in popularity with sales jumping from $47 million in 2014 to $427 million in 2017.1 Marketers claim alkaline water can correct excess acidity in your tissues, which can then prevent or reverse cancer, arthritis and other degenerative diseases.2
However, there's virtually no good evidence to support such claims, and I warned people about drinking alkaline water on a regular basis over eight years ago. Molecular hydrogen, on the other hand, does have a number of health benefits, some of which mirror the claims made for alkaline water and there's a really good reason for that.
So, here, I'll review these two types of waters, and the scientific support (or lack thereof) for each of them, and how the benefits of molecular hydrogen were inappropriately transferred over to alkaline water primarily due to ignorance.
What Is Alkaline Water?
Alkaline water is water that has gone through electrolysis that separates it into alkaline and acid fractions. The theory behind alkaline water is that alkaline (ionized) water is a powerful antioxidant with surplus electrons that can "mop up" dangerous free radicals. As reported by Arwa Mahdawi in The Guardian:3
"Dr. Tanis Fenton, an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary and an evidence analyst for Dietitians of Canada, told me that the marketing claims behind alkaline water are based on an old idea called the acid-ash hypothesis.
This posits that eating certain food like meat, dairy and eggs results in something called acid ash in your body, which increases your acid levels and causes adverse health effects including osteoporosis.
In 2002, an alternative medicine practitioner called Robert O. Young4 spun the acid-ash hypothesis into a fad alkaline diet, with a popular series of books called the pH Miracle.
According to these books, an alkaline diet could treat all manner of woes, from poor digestion to cancer. Young, by the way, was sentenced to three years in jail in 2017 for practicing medicine without a license."
According to Fenton author of a systematic review5 of the association between alkaline water and cancer the few studies showing positive results with alkaline water are poorly designed, l...
The Stupidity of Ethanol as Green Energy Articles
Carbon neutrality is the holy grail of the biofuel industry. It refers to a product that has net zero carbon emissions. In the case of ethanol, the corn or soybeans grown to produce it would have to remove as much carbon dioxide from the environment as is given off when the ethanol is burned.
The manufacture and use of ethanol in the U.S. has been allowed to expand based on the assumption that its carbon neutral and therefore far better for the environment than gasoline. However, a 2016 study1 by professor John DeCicco, Ph.D., at the University of Michigan, showed that such assumptions were categorically false.
Ethanol Is Far From Carbon Neutral
What DeCicco and his team discovered was that biofuels such as corn ethanol are associated with a net increase in carbon dioxide emissions even more so than gasoline. It turns out that the crops only offset 37% of carbon dioxide emissions produced by burning biofuels. At the time, DeCicco explained:2
"The name of the game is to speed up how much CO2 [carbon dioxide] you remove from the air The best way to begin removing more CO2 from the air is to grow more trees and leave them. Prior to settlement, Michigan was heavily forested.
A state like Michigan could do much more to balance out the tailpipe emissions of CO2 by reforesting than by repurposing the corn and soybeans grown in the state into biofuels. That is just a kind of shell game that's not working."
Granted, DeCicco's study was funded by the American Petroleum Institute, which obviously has reason to want to discredit the sustainability of biofuels. However, the research reiterates what other, more independent researchers have found before.
Ethanol Raises Net Carbon Emissions
For example, in 2014, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a report titled "Ethanol's Broken Promise,"3 which reached similar conclusions as DeCicco's study. It too concluded that corn ethanol is worse for the environment than gasoline.
One of the primary reasons why growing corn for ethanol has a net-positive carbon impact is because farmers are plowing up native grasslands to make more room for corn. The failure to take this change in land use into account is how proponents of biofuels have been able to perpetuate the myth that its carbon neutral.
According to EWG, more than 8 million acres of grassland and wetlands were converted to corn between 2008 and 2011 alone, and every time an acre of grassland is plowed, 60 tons of carbon dioxide are released into the environment....
09:19
Most of the World Opposes the U.S. in Decision to Send to Ukraine Cluster Bombs that were Banned by Bush but Reinstated by Trump Vaccine Impact
BREAKING: Here is Jen Psaki in 2022 saying that using cluster bombs is a war crime
The Biden Admin is sending cluster bomber to Ukraine today pic.twitter.com/dSMKqumDm1
Jack Poso
(@JackPosobiec) July 7, 2023
Congressional Democrats, US Allies Break With Biden on Cluster Bombs for Ukraine
The UK, Spain, and Canada have warned against sending cluster bombs
by Dave DeCamp
President Bidens decision to arm Ukraine with cluster bombs has sparked rare Democratic criticism of his proxy war with Russia, and some of the USs top NATO allies have also spoken out against the move.
The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake, said Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, according to Politico.
The legacy of cluster bombs is misery, death and expensive cleanup generations after their use These weapons should be eliminated from our stockpiles, not dumped in Ukraine, she added.
Nineteen House progressives issued a joint statement condemning the move. Cluster munitions have been banned by nearly 125 countries under the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions because of the indiscriminate harm they cause, including mass civilian injury and death, the statement said.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) signed on to the statement and criticiz...
09:18
Most of the World Opposes the U.S. in Decision to Send to Ukraine Cluster Bombs that were Banned by Bush but Reinstated by Trump Medical Kidnap
BREAKING: Here is Jen Psaki in 2022 saying that using cluster bombs is a war crime
The Biden Admin is sending cluster bomber to Ukraine today pic.twitter.com/dSMKqumDm1
Jack Poso
Congressional Democrats, US Allies Break With Biden on Cluster Bombs for Ukraine
The UK, Spain, and Canada have warned against sending cluster bombs
by Dave DeCamp
President Bidens decision to arm Ukraine with cluster bombs has sparked rare Democratic criticism of his proxy war with Russia, and some of the USs top NATO allies have also spoken out against the move.
The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake, said Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, according to Politico.
The legacy of cluster bombs is misery, death and expensive cleanup generations after their use These weapons should be eliminated from our stockpiles, not dumped in Ukraine, she added.
Nineteen House progressives issued a joint statement condemning the move. Cluster munitions have been banned by nearly 125 countries under the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions because of the indiscriminate harm they cause, including mass civilian injury and death, the statement said.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) signed on to the statement and criticiz...
08:55
Most of the World Opposes the U.S. in Decision to Send to Ukraine Cluster Bombs that were Banned by Bush but Reinstated by Trump Health Impact News
BREAKING: Here is Jen Psaki in 2022 saying that using cluster bombs is a war crime
The Biden Admin is sending cluster bomber to Ukraine today pic.twitter.com/dSMKqumDm1
Jack Poso
Congressional Democrats, US Allies Break With Biden on Cluster Bombs for Ukraine
The UK, Spain, and Canada have warned against sending cluster bombs
by Dave DeCamp
President Bidens decision to arm Ukraine with cluster bombs has sparked rare Democratic criticism of his proxy war with Russia, and some of the USs top NATO allies have also spoken out against the move.
The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake, said Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, according to Politico.
The legacy of cluster bombs is misery, death and expensive cleanup generations after their use These weapons should be eliminated from our stockpiles, not dumped in Ukraine, she added.
Nineteen House progressives issued a joint statement condemning the move. Cluster munitions have been banned by nearly 125 countries under the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions...
07:57
Age of Autism (And All the LIES That Followed) Age of Autism The Rebel Alliance!
By Anne Dachel
In 2011, the book, The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-Made Epidemic, by Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill was published.
Back in 2011 when this book came out, the official autism rate was one in every 110 U.S. children. Wed seen that number dramatically increase before. It was one in 150 in 2009, and by 2012, it would be one in every 88 kids. And it really wasnt a big news story when in March 2023, it became one in every 36. (And if you live in California, its one in every 22.)
How prophetic for Dan and Mark to name their book, Age of Autism, because we truly do live in an age when autism is everywhere, accepted as a fact of life.
Over the last two decades Ive covered how autism is presented in the media. The main message about autism has been that its a mystery, but its nothing to worry about. The only point everyone agrees on when it comes it autism is that there is no link to the ever-increasing battery of vaccines children are required to get in order to go to school.
Beyond that, its anyones guess. Experts have been scratching their collective heads for decades now, at the same time no U.S. official has ever used the word CRISIS when speaking about autism. (Im sure that order was right from the top.)
For years, we were told that autism was a mysterious condition that experts were working on diligently, despite never coming up with any real findings on this disorder.
NOW with almost all of us related to someone with autism in our immediate or extended families, theres a new message in town: autism is not a disability.
Ive been seeing it in so many recent stories.
July 6, 2023, Psychology Today: Is Autism a Superpower? By Jessica Penot LPC
It is important to understand the beauty and complexity of autistic strengths.
These were listed as key points in the article:
Many autism advocates describe autism as a superpower.
Autistic people are u...
07:13
BRICS vs. Davos: The Race to a New World Currency Vaccine Impact
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
We are truly living in historic times, as the world financial system is being transformed in real time here in 2023.
What is emerging are two competing forces to develop a new world currency.
The predominate world economic system is the one led by the Davos crowd, where the World Economic Forum (WEF) is the main institution that has controlled Western monetary policy, primarily in the U.S. and Europe, and also the rest of the world as they submitted to the Davos crowd, and their military alliance, NATO.
But the rest of the world is now joining forces to challenge the Davos crowd, led by BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which now has a total of 41 countries wanting to join together with the original 5 BRICS nations and replace the U.S. dollar, currently the worlds dominate currency used in trade and finance, with a new, alleged gold-backed, world currency.
41 Countries Ready To Accept BRICS Currency a Month Before Summit
The list of countries ready to join the BRICS alliance and accept the new currency is growing. From a set of 19 countries in April, the numbers have spiked to 41 by the end of June. A total of 22 new countries expressed interest to enter the bloc and ditch the U.S. dollar in two months. The next BRICS summit will be held in August in South Africa where the bloc of five nations will combinedly decide the formation of a new currency.
BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The decision to expand the alliance will be jointly taken in the next BRICS summit and the bloc could soon become BRICS+.
The total number of countries that could challenge the U.S. dollar on the global stage has reached 41. The developing nations that want to accept BRICS currency hail from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
The countries that have shown interest to join the BRICS alliance ahead of the summit are Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
Belarus is the first country in Eastern Europe that expressed interest to accept the new BRICS currency. On the other hand, France has also shown its interest to...
07:12
BRICS vs. Davos: The Race to a New World Currency Medical Kidnap
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
We are truly living in historic times, as the world financial system is being transformed in real time here in 2023.
What is emerging are two competing forces to develop a new world currency.
The predominate world economic system is the one led by the Davos crowd, where the World Economic Forum (WEF) is the main institution that has controlled Western monetary policy, primarily in the U.S. and Europe, and also the rest of the world as they submitted to the Davos crowd, and their military alliance, NATO.
But the rest of the world is now joining forces to challenge the Davos crowd, led by BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which now has a total of 41 countries wanting to join together with the original 5 BRICS nations and replace the U.S. dollar, currently the worlds dominate currency used in trade and finance, with a new, alleged gold-backed, world currency.
41 Countries Ready To Accept BRICS Currency a Month Before Summit
The list of countries ready to join the BRICS alliance and accept the new currency is growing. From a set of 19 countries in April, the numbers have spiked to 41 by the end of June. A total of 22 new countries expressed interest to enter the bloc and ditch the U.S. dollar in two months. The next BRICS summit will be held in August in South Africa where the bloc of five nations will combinedly decide the formation of a new currency.
BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The decision to expand the alliance will be jointly taken in the next BRICS summit and the bloc could soon become BRICS+.
The total number of countries that could challenge the U.S. dollar on the global stage has reached 41. The developing nations that want to accept BRICS currency hail from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
The countries that have shown interest to join the BRICS alliance ahead of the summit are Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
Belarus is the first country in Eastern Europe that expressed interest to accept the new BRICS currency. On the other hand, France has also shown its interest to...
06:55
Vaccinate dogs they are not going to get autism from vaccines Skeptical Raptor
The Skeptical Raptor, stalking pseudoscience in the internet jungle.
We vaccinate dogs to protect them from some serious diseases that could harm our precious friends. Rabies. Distemper. Parvovirus. Kennel cough (bordatella). Lyme disease. Vaccine-preventable diseases can devastate our canine friends, and there isnt one good reason to keep them from the best medicine we can offer. Not only are these diseases dangerous to our Read More Vaccinate dogs they are not going to get autism from vaccines
06:42
BRICS vs. Davos: The Race to a New World Currency Health Impact News
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
We are truly living in historic times, as the world financial system is being transformed in real time here in 2023.
What is emerging are two competing forces to develop a new world currency.
The predominate world economic system is the one led by the Davos crowd, where the World Economic Forum (WEF) is the main institution that has controlled Western monetary policy, primarily in the U.S. and Europe, and also the rest of the world as they submitted to the Davos crowd, and their military alliance, NATO.
But the rest of the world is now joining forces to challenge the Davos crowd, led by BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which now has a total of 41 countries wanting to join together with the original 5 BRICS nations and replace the U.S. dollar, currently the worlds dominate currency used in trade and finance, with a new, alleged gold-backed, world currency.
41 Countries Ready To Accept BRICS Currency a Month Before Summit
The list of countries ready to join the BRICS alliance and accept the new currency is growing. From a set of 19 countries in April, the numbers have spiked to 41 by the end of June. A total of 22 new countries expressed interest to enter the bloc and ditch the U.S. dollar in two months. The next BRICS summit will be held in August in South Africa where the bloc of five nations will combinedly decide the formation of a new currency.
BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The decision to expand the alliance will be jointly taken in the next BRICS summit and the bloc could soon become BRICS+.
The total number of countries that could challenge the U.S. dollar on the global stage has reached 41. The developing nations that want to accept BRICS currency hail from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
The countries that hav...
06:33
Post-inflammatory administration of N-acetylcysteine reduces inflammation and alters receptor levels in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease. GreenMedInfo
PMID: FASEB Bioadv. 2023 Jul ;5(7):263-276. Epub 2023 May 16. PMID: 37415931 Abstract Title: Post-inflammatory administration of-acetylcysteine reduces inflammation and alters receptor levels in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease. Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex, multifactorial neurodegenerative disease with a prevalence of 1% over the age of 55. Neuropathological hallmarks of PD include the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the accumulation of Lewy bodies that contain a variety of proteins and lipids including alpha-synuclein (-syn). Although the formation of-syn occurs intracellularly, it can also be found in the extracellular space where it can be taken up by neighboring cells. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is an immune system receptor that has been shown to recognize extracellular-syn and modulate its uptake by other cells. Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3), an immune checkpoint receptor, has also been proposed to play a role in extracellular-syn internalization; however, a recent study has disputed this role. Internalized-syn can trigger expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, and IL-6 and induce neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and mitophagy that results in cellular death. In this study, we tested if-acetylcysteine (NAC), an anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic drug, can circumvent the detrimental effects of neuroinflammation and induce an anti-inflammatory response by modulating transcription and expression of TLR2 and LAG3 receptors. Cells overexpressing wild-type-syn were treated with TNF-to induce inflammation followed by NAC to inhibit the deleterious effects of TNF--induced inflammation and apoptosis.gene transcription and-syn protein expression were validated by q-PCR and Western blot (WB), respectively. Cell viability was measured, and apoptosis was evaluated by WB and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling methods. Alterations in LAG3 and TLR2 receptor levels were evaluated by immunofluorescent labeling, WB, and q-PCR. TNF-not only increased inflammation but also increased endogenous and overexpressed-syn levels. NAC treatment decreased expression of TLR2 and increased transcription of LAG3 receptor and diminished inflammation-mediated toxicity and cell death. Here, we demonstrate that NAC can reduce neuroinflammation that occurs as a result of alpha-synuclein overexpression, via a TLR2-associated pathway, making it a promising candidate for therapeutic intervention. Further studies are needed to elucidate molecular mechanisms and pathways related to neuroinflammation in PD and to develop possible new therapeutic approaches to slow the clinical progression of PD.
...
06:25
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) attenuates quorum sensing regulated phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Heliyon. 2023 Mar ;9(3):e14152. Epub 2023 Feb 28. PMID: 36923901 Abstract Title: -acetylcysteine (NAC) attenuates quorum sensing regulated phenotypes inPAO1. Abstract: The expression of many virulence genes in bacteria is regulated by quorum sensing (QS), and the inhibition of this mechanism has been intensely investigated.-acetylcysteine (NAC) has good antibacterial activity and is able to interfere with biofilm-related respiratory infections, but little is known whether this compound has an effect on bacterial QS communication. This work aimed to evaluate the potential of NAC as a QS inhibitor (QSI) inPAO1 throughandanalyses, as well as in combination with the antibiotic tobramycin. Initially, a molecular docking analysis was performed between the QS regulatory proteins, LasR and RhlR, ofwith NAC, 3-oxo-C12-HSL, C4-HSL, and furanone C30. The NAC sub-inhibitory concentration was determined by growth curves. Then, we performedtests using the QS reporter strainsand, as well as the expression of QS-related phenotypes. Finally, the synergistic effect of NAC with the antibiotic tobramycin was calculated by fractional inhibitory concentrations index (FIC) and investigated against bacterial growth, pigment production, and biofilm formation. In the molecular docking study, NAC bound to LasR and RhlR proteins in a similar manner to the AHL cognate, suggesting that it may be able to bind to QS receptor proteins. In the biosensor assay, the GFP signal was turned down in the presence of NAC at 1000, 500, 250, and 125 M forand(
06:24
N-Acetylcysteine attenuated pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Res Pharm Sci. 2023 Apr ;18(2):177-184. Epub 2023 Jan 19. PMID: 36873280 Abstract Title: N-Acetylcysteine attenuated pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycinimmunomodulation responses. Abstract: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic and life-threatening interstitial lung disease. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant pharmaceutically available to reduce endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and fibrosis, however, the therapeutic effect of NAC on PF has not been clearly identified. This research aimed to investigate the possible therapeutic impact of NAC on PF induced by bleomycin in the rat model.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Rats received intraperitoneal injections of NAC at 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg for 28 days before bleomycin, while the positive and negative control groups were treated with bleomycin alone and normal saline, respectively. Then, rats' lung tissues were isolated and leukocyte infiltration and also collagen deposition were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin and Mallory trichrome stainings, respectively. In addition, the levels of IL-17, and TGF-cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and hydroxyproline in homogenized lung tissues were assayed using the ELISA method.FINDINGS/RESULTS: Histological findings indicated that NAC decreased leukocyte infiltration, collagen deposition, and fibrosis score in the bleomycin-induced PF tissue. Moreover, NAC significantly reduced TGF-and hydroxyproline levels at 300-600 mg/kg, as well as IL-17 cytokine at 600 mg/kg.CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: NAC showed a potential anti-fibrotic effect by reducing hydroxyproline and TGF-as well as an anti-inflammatory effect by decreasing IL-17 cytokine. So, it may be administered as a prophylactic or therapeutic candidate agent to attenuate PFimmunomodulatory effects. Although, future studies are suggested.
06:22
N-Acetylcysteine suppresses microglial inflammation. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 14 ;24(4). Epub 2023 Feb 14. PMID: 36835209 Abstract Title: N-Acetylcysteine Suppresses Microglial Inflammation and Induces Mortality Dose-Dependently via Tumor Necrosis Factor-Signaling. Abstract: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant that prevents tumor necrosis factor (TNF)--induced cell death, but it also acts as a pro-oxidant, promoting reactive oxygen species independent apoptosis. Although there is plausible preclinical evidence for the use of NAC in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, deleterious side effects are still of concern. Microglia, key innate immune cells in the brain, play an important role in inflammation in psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial and deleterious effects of NAC on microglia and stress-induced behavior abnormalities in mice, and its association with microglial TNF-and nitric oxide (NO) production. The microglial cell line MG6 was stimulated by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using NAC at varying concentrations for 24 h. NAC inhibited LPS-induced TNF-and NO synthesis, whereas high concentrations (30 mM) caused MG6 mortality. Intraperitoneal injections of NAC did not ameliorate stress-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice, but high-doses induced microglial mortality. Furthermore, NAC-induced mortality was alleviated in microglial TNF--deficient mice and human primary M2 microglia. Our findings provide ample evidence for the use of NAC as a modulating agent of inflammation in the brain. The risk of side effects from NAC on TNF-remains unclear and merits further mechanistic investigations.
06:17
Wolfberry water extract attenuates blue light-emitting diode damage to ARPE-19 cells and mouse retina. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Food Sci. 2023 May ;88(5):2229-2245. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37025094 Abstract Title: Wolfberry water extract attenuates blue light-emitting diode damage to ARPE-19 cells and mouse retina by activating the NRF2 signaling pathway. Abstract: The wolfberry is believed to improve eyesight in traditional Chinese medicine. Soaking wolfberry in thermos cups has become a common health-preserving practice. The object of this paper was to research the protective effects of wolfberry water extract (WWE) on oxidative injury induced by blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in ARPE-19 cells and C57BL/6J mice. Wolfberry water extract significantly increased cell viability, reduced ROS production, stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibited apoptosis in blue LED-induced cells (P
06:10
Lycium barbarum glycopeptide targets PER2 to inhibit lipogenesis in glioblastoma by downregulating SREBP1c. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Cancer Gene Ther. 2023 Apr 17. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37069338 Abstract Title: Lycium barbarum glycopeptide targets PER2 to inhibit lipogenesis in glioblastoma by downregulating SREBP1c. Abstract: Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is a substance with various biological activities extracted from Lycium barbarum. LbGPs are peptidoglycans with a short peptide backbone and a complex, branched glycan moiety, which is further extracted and isolated from LBPs. Previous studies have shown that LbGP can inhibit cancer cell growth, but its specific mechanism is not completely clear. In this study, we found that LbGP could inhibit the proliferation of glioma cells and promote the expression of period 2 (PER2) through the PKA-CREB pathway. In addition, LbGP could inhibit the de novo synthesis of lipids by downregulating SREBP1c and its target genes, which depended on the expression of PER2. Moreover, PER2 negatively regulated the expression of SREBP1c via suppressing PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In summary, LbGP may upregulate the expression of PER2 to reduce the expression of SREBP1c, inhibit lipid synthesis in glioblastoma, and inhibit glioblastoma cell proliferation. This study provides an alternative drug for the treatment of glioma and elucidates its potential mechanism.
05:47
SCOTUS ruling on religious accommodation apply to vaccines? Skeptical Raptor
The Skeptical Raptor, stalking pseudoscience in the internet jungle.
Professor Dorit Rubinstein Reiss writes about the recent Supreme Court ruling on the refusal of religious accommodation and vaccines.
05:37
Mechanisms of action of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide in protecting against vitiligo. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Pharm Biol. 2023 Dec ;61(1):281-287. PMID: 36655287 Abstract Title: Mechanisms of action ofpolysaccharide in protecting against vitiligo mice through modulation of the STAT3-Hsp70-CXCL9/CXCL10 pathway. Abstract: CONTEXT: Vitiligo is a common skin disease with a complex pathogenesis, and so far, no effective treatment is available.L. (Solanaceae) polysaccharide (LBP), the main active ingredient of goji berries, has been demonstrated to protect keratinocytes and fibroblasts against oxidative stress.OBJECTIVE: This study explored the effects and mechanism of LBP on monobenzone-induced vitiligo in mice.MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups (=6): negative control that received vaseline, vitiligo model group induced by monobenzone that treated with vaseline, positive control that received tacrolimus (TAC), LBP groups that received 0.3 and 0.6g/kg LBP, respectively. We quantified the depigmentation by visual examination and scores, detected the expression of CD8+ T cells, pro-inflammatory cytokines and analysed the STAT3-Hsp70-CXCL9/CXCL10 pathway.RESULTS: LBP 0.3 and 0.6g/kg groups can significantly reduce depigmentation scores and the infiltration of local inflammatory cells in the skin lesions. Moreover, the expression of CXCL9, CXCL3, CXCL10 and HSP70 decreased by 54.3, 20.3, 48.5 and 27.2% in 0.3g/kg LBP group, which decreased by 62.1, 26.6, 58.2 and 34.5% in 0.6g/kg LBP group. In addition, 0.3 and 0.6g/kg LBP decreased the release of IL-8 (9.7%, 22.8%), IL-6 (40.8%, 42.5%), TNF-(25.7%, 35%), IFN-(25.1%, 27.6%) and IL-1(23.7%, 33.7%) and inhibited the phosphorylation expression of STAT3 by 63.2 and 67.9%, respectively.CONCLUSION: These findings indicated LBP might be recommended as a new approach for vitiligo which provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of LBP in treating vitiligo patients.
05:13
4 Symptoms of Low Electrolyte Levels (& How to Fix Them!) Healthy Holistic Living
Electrolytes are essential minerals such as potassium, sodium,
calcium, and magnesium that conduct electricity when mixed with
water. Theyre responsible for several vital physiological functions
such as maintaining fluid balance, supporting muscle contraction,
and regulating nerve signals. However, many factors can lead to low
electrolyte levels, causing adverse effects on our wellbeing. This
article delves into the symptoms of low electrolyte levels, their
causes, and potential solutions.
Symptom 1: Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramps, painful involuntary muscle contractions, often signify an electrolyte imbalance. Calcium, potassium, and magnesium are key minerals necessary for normal muscle function. Their deficit can trigger these discomforting spasms. In fact, a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2019) found a correlation between electrolyte imbalances and muscle cramps in athletes, mainly resulting from excessive sweating that depletes electrolyte levels during strenuous exercise.
Symptom 2: Fatigue
If youre experiencing persistent feelings of tiredness, it may be a sign of low electrolyte levels. Sodium and potassium, both key electrolytes, are critical in maintaining the bodys fluid balance. Their deficiency can result in dehydration, a well-known cause of fatigue. The Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2012) supports this, noting that even mild dehydration can influence mood, energy levels, and cognitive function.
Symptom 3: Headaches
Headaches, another common symptom of low electrolyte levels, can occur when the body fails to maintain optimal fluid balance, leading to dehydration. According to a study in the Handbooks of Clinical Neurology (2014), chronic dehydration can trigger headaches by causing the bra...
05:13
LBP1C-2 from Lycium barbarum alleviated age-related bone loss. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Carbohydr Polym. 2023 Jun 15 ;310:120725. Epub 2023 Feb 23. PMID: 36925250 Abstract Title: LBP1C-2 from Lycium barbarum alleviated age-related bone loss by targeting BMPRIA/BMPRII/Noggin. Abstract: Age-related bone loss is unavoidable and effective safe drugs are in great need. The fruit of Lycium barbarum was recorded to strengthen bones in the "Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica)". However, there lacks scientific explanation. Herein, we investigated L. barbarum water extract (LBE), L. barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) and the homogeneous polysaccharide LBP1C-2 on the bone loss in adult mouse, aging mouse and ovariectomized mouse models. LBE, LBP and LBP1C-2 all markedly increased bone mass and bone strength in these models and promoted osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and ossification. Mechanistic studies showed that LBP1C-2 binds directly to the BMP receptors (BMPRIA and BMPRII) and noggin, activates the phosphorylation of Smad and disrupts the interaction between noggin and BMPs. Our results clearly elucidate the mechanism, the critical component and the direct targets of L. barbarum and provide potentially safe natural products and new drug candidate against age-related bone loss.
04:58
Lycium barbarum berries as source of bioactive compounds for healthy purposes. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 1 ;24(5). Epub 2023 Mar 1. PMID: 36902206 Abstract Title: Berries (Solanaceae) as Source of Bioactive Compounds for Healthy Purposes: A Review. Abstract: L. is a species widely used in dietary supplements and natural healthcare products. The berries, also known as goji or wolfberries, mostly grow in China, but recent reports on their outstanding bioactive properties have increased their popularity and cultivation around the world. Goji berries are a remarkable source of phenolic compounds (such as phenolic acids and flavonoids), carotenoids, organic acids, carbohydrates (fructose and glucose), and vitamins (ascorbic acid). Several biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic, and anticancer activities, have been associated with its consumption. Hence, goji berries were highlighted as an excellent source of functional ingredients with promising applications in food and nutraceutical fields. This review aims to summarize the phytochemical composition and biological activities, along with various industrial applications, ofberries. Simultaneously, the valorization of goji berries by-products, with its associated economic advantages, will be emphasized and explored.
04:49
Lycium barbarum ameliorates neural damage induced by experimental ischemic stroke and radiation exposure. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2023 Feb 24 ;28(2):38. PMID: 36866558 Abstract Title: Ameliorates Neural Damage Induced by Experimental Ischemic Stroke and Radiation Exposure. Abstract: Ischemic stroke and cranial radiotherapy may induce brain inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis and neuronal loss, and impairment of neurogenesis.has anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-aging properties, may produce both neuroprotective and radioprotective effects. In this narrative review paper, we described the neuroprotective effect ofin different animal models of experimental ischemic stroke and limited studies in irradiated animal models. Relevant molecular mechanisms are also summarized. It has been shown that in experimental ischemic stroke models, Lycium barbarum produces neuroprotective effects by modulating neuroinflammatory factors such as cytokines and chemokines, reactive oxygen species, and neurotransmitter and receptor systems. In irradiation animal models,prevents radiation-induced loss of hippocampal interneurons. Given its minimal side-effects, these preclinical studies suggest thatmay be a promising radio-neuro-protective drug that can be used as an adjunct treatment to radiotherapy for brain tumor and in the treatment of ischemic stroke. At molecular levels,may regulate PI3K/Akt/GSK-3, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, PKC/Nrf2/HO-1, keap1-Nrf2/HO-1, and NR2A and NR2B receptor- related signal transduction pathways to produce neuroprotective effects.
04:40
Goji berry inhibits the proliferation, adhesion, and migration of oral cancer cells. GreenMedInfo
PMID: F1000Res. 2022 ;11:1563. Epub 2022 Dec 22. PMID: 36761830 Abstract Title: Goji berry (Lycium barbarum) inhibits the proliferation, adhesion, and migration of oral cancer cells by inhibiting the ERK, AKT, and CyclinD cell signaling pathways: an in-vitro study. Abstract: :popularly referred to as Goji berry, is a promising herb known for its powerful anti-antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating inflammatory and infectious diseases. It has also shown good anti-cancer properties and has been tested against liver, colon, prostate, breast, and cervical cancers. However, no study has yet evaluated the role of goji berries against oral cancer. Hence, the present paper aims to evaluate the anticancer properties ofagainst oral squamous cell carcinoma.: Ethanolic extract of(EELB) was tested for its anticancer properties by performing the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, colony formation, cell proliferation, and scratch wound test. The impact of EELB on the signaling transduction pathways of Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), protein kinase (AKT1), cyclin D1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was also assessed by western blot.The results showed that EELB can impede CAL-27 cell growth, proliferation and migration. It even reduced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and AKT1 with concomitant downregulation of cyclin D1 (CCND1), cadherin 2 (CDH2), and vimentin (VIM) and upregulation of cadherin 1 (CDH1) expression suggesting its anti-proliferative and anti-EMT effects in oral cancer.Goji berry has good antiproliferative and anti-invasive properties. It affects potential EMT markers and signaling transduction pathways involved in oral cancers. Hence goji berry can be tried as a potential anticancer agent to manage oral squamous cell carcinoma.
04:34
Lycium barbarum polysaccharide protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Ann Transl Med. 2023 Jan 31 ;11(2):72. PMID: 36819526 Abstract Title: polysaccharide protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxia/reoxygenation injury via activation of SIRT3/CypD signaling. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion is a common pathological feature of many heart and vascular diseases, but the molecular mechanism of this process is still unclear, and there is no effective way to protect cardiomyocytes. The aim of this study was to examine the effects and underlying molecular mechanisms ofpolysaccharide (LBP) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in cardiomyocytes.METHODS: The cardiomyocyte cell line H9c2 were used to establish anhypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model. After treatment with LBP and/or the SIRT3 inhibitor 3-TYP, cell morphology was observed under the light microscopy. The Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay were used to detect cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was performed to assess cell apoptosis. The lysine (166)-acetylation of CypD1 was determined by co-immunoprecipitation assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level in the culture medium. Na-K-ATPase activity, Ca-ATPase activity, and nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured.RESULTS: LBP alleviated cell damage and upregulated STIR3 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Upregulated SIRT3 expression and suppressed acetylation of CypD were also observed in H/R-induced H9c2 cells treated with LBP. Indeed, LBP remarkably reversed the inhibition of proliferation and cell apoptosis in H/R-induced H9c2 cells by activating SIRT3/CypD signaling. Blockade of SIRT3 with SIRT3 inhibitor (3-TYP) inhibited the protective effect of LBP on H9c2 cells. LBP markedly alleviated the H/R-induced increase of LDH release, and the decrease of Na-K-ATPase activity, Ca-ATPase activity, and NO levels. Inhibition of SIRT3 restored the protective effects of LBP.CONCLUSIONS: LPB induced deacetylation of CypD by upregulating SIRT3, thereby protecting mitochondrial function and relieving H/R-induced injury in cardiomyocytes.
04:30
Goji berry leaf exerts a comparable effect against colitis and microbiota dysbiosis. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Food Funct. 2023 Apr 3 ;14(7):3026-3037. Epub 2023 Apr 3. PMID: 36861301 Abstract Title: Goji berry leaf exerts a comparable effect against colitis and microbiota dysbiosis to its fruit in dextran-sulfate-sodium-treated mice. Abstract: Goji berry and mulberry are both popular berries with anti-colitis effects, but their leaves have received less attention. In this study, the anti-colitis effects of goji berry leaf and mulberry leaf were investigated in dextran-sulfate-sodium-induced colitis C57BL/6N mice compared with their fruits. Goji berry leaf and goji berry reduced colitic symptoms and ameliorated tissue damage, while mulberry leaf did not. ELISA and western blotting analysis suggested that goji berry showed the best performance in inhibiting the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-, IL-6 and IL-10) and improving damaged colonic barrier (occludin and claudin-1). Besides, goji berry leaf and goji berry reversed the gut microbiota dysbiosis by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria likeand Muribaculaceae, and decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria likeand. Goji berry, mulberry and goji berry leaf could restore acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate to ameliorate inflammation, while mulberry leaf could not restore butyrate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the comparison of the anti-colitis effects of goji berry leaf, mulberry leaf and their fruits, which is meaningful for the rational utilization of goji berry leaf as a functional food.
04:26
Immunomodulatory and antiviral effects of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide on influenza a virus infection. GreenMedInfo
n/a PMID: Microb Pathog. 2023 Mar ;176:106030. Epub 2023 Feb 10. PMID: 36773941 Abstract Title: Immunomodulatory and antiviral effects of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide on influenza a virus infection. Abstract: Influenza is caused by a respiratory virus and has a major global impact on human health. Influenza A viruses in particular are highly pathogenic to humans and have caused multiple pandemics. An important consequence of infection is viral pneumonia, and with serious complications of excessive inflammation and tissue damage. Therefore, simultaneously reducing direct damage caused by virus infection and relieving indirect damage caused by excessive inflammation would be an effective treatment strategy. Lycium barbarum glycopeptide (LbGp) is a mixture of five highly branched polysaccharide-protein conjuncts (LbGp1-5) isolated from Lycium barbarum fruit. LbGp has pro-immune activity that is 1-2 orders of magnitude stronger than that of other plant polysaccharides. However, there are few reports on the immunomodulatory and antiviral activities of LbGp. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of LbGp in vivo and in vitro and investigated its therapeutic effect on H1N1-induced viral pneumonia and mechanisms of action. In vitro, cytokine secretion, NF-B p65 nuclear translocation, and CD86 mRNA expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells were constrained by LbGp treatment. In A549 cells, LbGp can inhibit H1N1 infection by blocking virus attachment and entry action. In vivo experiments confirmed that administration of LbGp can effectively increase the survival rate, body weight and decrease the lung index of mice infected with H1N1. Compared to the model group, pulmonary histopathologic symptoms in lung sections of mice treated with LbGp were obviously alleviated. Further investigation revealed that the mechanism of LbGp in the treatment of H1N1-induced viral pneumonia includes reducing the viral load in lung, regulating the phenotype of pulmonary macrophages, and inhibiting excessive inflammation. In conclusion, LbGp exhibits potential curative effects against H1N1-induced viral pneumonia in mice, and these effects are associated with its good immuno-regulatory and antiviral activities.
04:24
Bee products and colorectal cancer-active components and mechanism of action. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Mar 27 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Mar 27. PMID: 37049455 Abstract Title: Bee Products and Colorectal Cancer-Active Components and Mechanism of Action. Abstract: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Lifestyle and eating patterns may have a significant impact on the prevention of this type of cancer. Bioactive food ingredients influence the gut microbiome and can have a protective effect. Bee products (honey, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom) or pharmacologically active fractions obtained from them are widely used in many fields of medicine, pharmacy, and cosmetics. Some evidence suggests that bee products may have anti-cancer potential. The main bioactive components with anti-colon cancer potential from propolis and bee honey are polyphenols such as pinocembrin, galangin, luteolin, CAPE, Artepilin C, chrysin, caffeic, and p-coumaric acids. This review is focused on the new data on epidemiology, risk factors for colon cancer, and current reports on the potential role of bee products in the chemoprevention of this type of cancer.
04:22
These 5 Herbs Help To Fix Your Thyroid And Regulate Body Temperature, Weight & More Healthy Holistic Living
When it comes to maintaining good health, we often overlook the small, butterfly-shaped gland nestled in our neck: the thyroid. This powerful organ plays a vital role in metabolism, body temperature regulation, and overall well-being. It directly influences a variety of body systems, from the gastrointestinal tract to the nervous system and bones, and even the heart.
However, a significant percentage of the population faces thyroid health issues, which usually manifest as either an underactive or overactive thyroidclinically termed as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, respectively. According to the American Thyroid Association, more than 12% of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime.
Understanding the difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, recognizing symptoms and signs, and knowing how to support thyroid health is vital. In addition to medical treatment, certain herbs can play a significant role in supporting thyroid health. Here, well explore the benefits of five powerful herbs: Ashwagandha, Ginger, Turmeric, Bladderwrack, and Guggul.
Understanding Thyroid Health: Hypothyroidism vs.
Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism: The Silent Saboteur
Hypothyroidism, also known as an underactive thyroid, is characterized by insufficient production of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone essential for t...
04:22
Royal jelly attenuates NAFLD via its antioxidant potential and adiponectin-independent activation of liver AMPK. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Mar 18 ;15(6). Epub 2023 Mar 18. PMID: 36986201 Abstract Title: Activation of AMPK Entails the Protective Effect of Royal Jelly against High-Fat-Diet-Induced Hyperglycemia, Hyperlipidemia, and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats. Abstract: This study examined the mechanism underlying the protective effect of royal jelly (RJ) against high-fat-diet (HFD)-mediated non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) in rats. Adult male rats were divided into five groups (n = 8 each): control fed a standard diet, control + RJ (300 mg/kg), HFD, HFD + RJ (300 mg/kg), and HFD + RJ + CC (0.2 mg/kg). The treatment with RJ reduced weight gain, increased fat pads, and attenuated fasting hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose tolerance in the HFD-fed rats. It also reduced the serum levels of liver function enzymes, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-(TNF-), and leptin but significantly increased the serum levels of adiponectin. In addition, and with no effect on lipid excretion in stool, RJ significantly decreased the hepatic mRNA expression of SREBP1, serum, hepatic cholesterol, and triglycerides but increased hepatic mRNA levels of PPAR. Furthermore, RJ reduced the hepatic levels of TNF-, IL-6, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the livers of these rats. Of note, with no effect on the mRNA levels of AMPK, RJ stimulated the phosphorylation of AMPK and increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total glutathione (GSH) in the livers of the control and HFD-fed rats. In conclusion, RJ attenuates NAFLD via its antioxidant potential and adiponectin-independent activation of liver AMPK.
04:07
Royal jelly reduces cyclophosphamide-related ovarian and endometrial damage. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Clin Exp Reprod Med. 2023 Mar ;50(1):34-43. Epub 2023 Feb 23. PMID: 36935410 Abstract Title: Identification of royal jelly as a potential new drug to protect the ovarian reserve and uterus against cyclophosphamide in rats. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of royal jelly (RJ), a powerful natural antioxidant, on cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian damage.METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Oral treatment was administered to all rats for 16 days after a single intraperitoneal injection. The control group received intraperitoneal and oral saline; the RJ group received intraperitoneal saline and 100 mg/kg/day oral RJ; the cyclophosphamide group received intraperitoneal 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide and oral saline; and the treatment group received intraperitoneal 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide and 100 mg/kg/day oral RJ. The groups were compared in terms of ovarian reserve tests and histopathological changes in the ovary and uterus.RESULTS: All follicle counts were higher in the treatment group than in the cyclophosphamide group. The increase in the number of preantral follicles (p=0.001) and the decrease in the number of atretic follicles (p=0.004) were statistically significant. RJ treatment significantly improved follicular degeneration and cortical fibrosis in the ovary and epithelial and gland degeneration in the uterus due to cyclophosphamide toxicity.CONCLUSION: According to these results, RJ reduces cyclophosphamide-related ovarian and endometrial damage in rats. For this reason, it should be further investigated to determine its effects on reproductive function.
03:55
You Should Think Twice Before Cooking With Parchment Paper: Heres Why Healthy Holistic Living
Parchment paper, also known as baking paper, is a common tool in kitchens worldwide, thanks to its heat resistance and non-stick properties. The global parchment paper industry is valued at over $960 million, suggesting its immense popularity and widespread use. But have you ever stopped to wonder about its safety? This article uncovers the potential risks of using parchment paper in your kitchen and offers alternatives to make your cooking and baking healthier and more environmentally friendly.
Unwrapping the Composition of Parchment Paper
Parchment paper is a product of the parchmentization process where it gains its durability and resistance to oil and heat. Commercially produced parchment paper is often treated with silicone to boost these qualities.
Why the Caution Around Parchment Paper?
Despite its convenience and simplicity, the use of parchment paper raises several health concerns that warrant caution.
The Bleaching Dilemma
The first concern lies in the bleaching process integral to the production of parchment paper. The bleached parchment paper may contain dioxin, a toxic chemical released when heated.
- Dioxin Exposure: Studies have linked dioxin to reproductive and developmental diseases. Research shows that once ingested, this chemical can transfer to our fatty tissues and remain there for 7 to 11 years.
The Silicone Coating Problem
The second concern pertains to the silicone coating on the parchment paper. Silicone cookware is typically made from silicon, carbon, and/or oxygen, forming a rubber-like substance.
- Silicone and Health: While silicone cookware tends to resist heat better than plastic, the synthetic rubber used in its manufacturing ideally should not come into contact with our food. Especially when heated with oils, silicone bakeware can release chemicals, thus raising questions about potential health risks.
- FDAs Stance on Silicone: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized silicon dioxides, essential elements in silicone cookware, as safe for food-grade contexts back in 1979. However, there have been no subsequent FDA studies to assess whether silicone can leach out of cookware and contaminate food.
- Siloxanes Concern: Research has found siloxanes leaching from silicone nipples in baby bottles and bakeware. Siloxanes can potentially be carcinogenic and endocrine disruptors. Another study has linked silicone gel to lethal cancer in rats, stirring debates about th...
03:44
Pollen and bee bread expressed highest anti-inflammatory activities among bee products in chronic inflammation. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Inflammopharmacology. 2023 Mar 15. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PMID: 36918444 Abstract Title: Pollen and bee bread expressed highest anti-inflammatory activities among bee products in chronic inflammation: an experimental study with cotton pellet granuloma in rats. Abstract: Little is known about the effectiveness of bee products on chronic inflammation. In this experimental study, it was aimed to investigate and compare the anti-inflammatory activities of honey, propolis, royal jelly, pollen and bee bread, for the first time in the literature. In the study, 48 Sprague Dawley female albino rats weighing 20020 g were used and bee products were administered by oral gavage method. Healthy, control, honey, propolis, pollen, royal jelly and bee bread groups were randomized. Chronic inflammation was created by cotton pellet method. For the treatments, 1 g/kg of honey, 300 mg/kg/day of pollen, 100 mg/kg/day of propolis, 500 mg/kg/day of bee bread and 100 mg/kg/day of royal jelly were given for seven days. One week later, cotton pellets were removed, and the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels of the blood samples were measured and compared statistically. It was found that honey, propolis, pollen, bee bread and royal jelly had statistically significant anti-inflammatory activities and significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (p
03:40
Black Lycium barbarum polysaccharide attenuates LPS-induced intestine damage. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Front Microbiol. 2022 ;13:1080922. Epub 2023 Jan 19. PMID: 36741888 Abstract Title: Blackpolysaccharide attenuates LPS-induced intestine damageregulation gut microbiota. Abstract: are traditionally used as a homology of medicinal plants in China with a potent role in metabolism and immunomodulation. The current study was performed to explore the attenuation effect and microbiota regulation ofpolysaccharide (BLBP) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestine damage in mice. A total of 70 mice were randomly divided into five groups; negative control (GA), LPS (GB), both treated with an equal volume of normal saline, and BLBP treatment groups GC (100 mg/kg), GD (200 mg/kg), and GE (400 mg/kg)gavage for 19 days. On Day 19, mice in groups GB, GC, GD, and GE were treated with 10 mg/kg LPS for 24 h and euthanized to collect intestine samples for pathological examination and microbiota sequencing. The results showed a non-significant difference in body weight gain among the five mouse groups; however, mice in the GC and GE groups showed decreased weight gain. An H&E examination revealed that the integrity of intestinal villi was destroyed by LPS, while BLBP supplement alleviated intestinal damage with an increase in villus height and a decrease in crypt depth. A total of over 59,000, 40,000, 50,000, 45,000, and 55,000 raw sequences were found in groups GA, GB, GC, GD, and GE, respectively. LPS challenge decreased alpha diversity indexes significantly (
03:37
Bee venom as an alternative for antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus infections. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 20 ;13(1):6436. Epub 2023 Apr 20. PMID: 37081055 Abstract Title: Bee venom as an alternative for antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus infections. Abstract: The misuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, making it even harder to combat and eliminate their infections. Staphylococcus aureus causes various adverse infections and diseases, including skin abscesses, bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and joint infections. In this study, we aimed to test the cytotoxic and antibacterial effects of bee venom-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (BV-loaded CS-NPs) in comparison to gamma-irradiated BV and native BV from Apis mellifera. The physiochemical characterizations of our treatments were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), zeta-potential, release rate, and Encapsulation Efficiency (EE). Our study was conducted on both levels, in-vitro and in-vivo. For the in-vitro study, a bacterial model of Staphylococcus aureus with an ATCC number of 6538 was grown in tryptic soy agar (TSA) medium, and the inhibition zones of our drug candidates were measured with the appropriate statistical analysis performed. For the in-vivo study, levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Creatinine, Urea, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were analyzed. BV-loaded CS-NPs showed relatively better results than the other alternatives, which are native BV and gamma-irradiated BV. The results showed that the antibacterial effect of BV-loaded CS-NPs was greater than the alternatives. Furthermore, its cytotoxic effect was far less than the native and irradiated bee venom. These outcomes ensure that loading BV on CS-NPs makes it a promising drug candidate for an antibiotic alternative with minimal cytotoxicity and enhanced antibacterial activity.
03:34
The effects of forest bathing on psychological well-being. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2023 Mar 2. Epub 2023 Mar 2. PMID: 36864583 Abstract Title: The effects of forest bathing on psychological well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract: Globally, around half (55%) of the population live in fast-paced urban settings where many people find it challenging to manage their stress and respond to crises with a positive mindset. This resulted in prolonged distress where anxiety and fatigue caused physical and mental health concerns. Nature walks involving immersive exposure in the forest, and green spaces have been posited to offer physiological and psychological benefits. Therefore, in this systematic review, we evaluated the effects of forest bathing on psychological and physiological outcomes. We searched four English and five non-English databases (Chinese and Korean) for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2000 and March 2021. This review adhered to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Statement 2020. The primary outcomes explored in this review were mainly psychological, including anxiety, depression, mood and quality of life. The secondary outcomes were physiological outcomes such as blood pressure and heart rate. We conducted a meta-analysis on each outcome using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by the Istatistic. Thirty-six articles (21 in English, 3 in Chinese and 12 in Korean) with 3554 participants were included in this review. Our meta-analysis suggested that forest bathing can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, we did not observe as many benefits in physiological outcomes. Against the background of the negative effects of urbanization on mental well-being, this review highlighted the potential therapeutic role of forests in the contemporary world, lending further evidence-based support for forest conservation.
03:32
Forest bathing and hiking benefits for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mediterranean regions. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Eur J For Res. 2023 ;142(2):415-426. Epub 2023 Feb 3. PMID: 36779181 Abstract Title: Forest bathing and hiking benefits for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mediterranean regions. Abstract: Forest bathing (FB) has evidenced positive effects on individuals' mental health and well-being, but its benefits have mainly been studied in Asian biomes. The present study aimed to evaluate whether its benefits are also generalisable to other forests and biomes of the world, such as the Mediterranean. Eighty-six healthy adults of the general population were assessed before and after a FB near Barcelona (Spain) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A control-hiking group of participants was also analysed to contrast the FB effects on anxiety, affect, mood states and mindfulness. Results show that the guided practice of FB in Mediterranean-Catalan forests increases mindfulness states and positive affect and reduces anxiety and negative affect, with effect sizes being large to very large. Hiking also induced significant changes in all variables tested, but FB showed higher effect sizes. An exploratory analysis also revealed a different profile of the FB participants compared to the hiking practitioners, being highly educated women living in urban areas and with lower basal levels of psychological well-being. Accordingly, it is concluded that both Mediterranean FB and hiking (to a lesser degree) might be cost-effective strategies to promote and restore psychological well-being after the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote sustainable tourism in Mediterranean biomes of the European forested and protected areas.
03:29
Association of mercury exposure with the serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level in Korean adults. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Front Public Health. 2023 ;11:1062741. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 37056650 Abstract Title: Association of mercury exposure with the serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level in Korean adults. Abstract: Although there is evidence that mercury (Hg) exposure may be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), few nationwide epidemiological researches have analyzed the association between blood Hg concentration and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level as a biomarker of CVD. The present population-based national study was performed with data from the 2016-2017 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In the total sample of 3,773 adults aged20years, the serum hs-CRP concentrations were 1.03mg/L among participants in the lowest quartile of blood Hg level and 1.18mg/L among those in highest quartile. The trend for the prevalence of a risky (>1.0mg/L) hs-CRP level (moderate risk and high risk) was significantly related to an increased quartile blood Hg concentration. After adjustment for confounders, participants with the highest quartiles of blood Hg had increased odds of a risky (>1.0mg/L) hs-CRP level (adjusted odds ratio=1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.77) compared with those with the lowest quartile of blood Hg. These findings demonstrate that a high blood Hg level increases the concentration of serum hs-CRP, a sensitive marker of chronic low-grade inflammation, and imply that the increased body burden associated with high blood Hg is a potential risk factor in the development of many inflammatory diseases, including CVD.
03:24
Hydroxytyrosol Interference with inflammaging via modulation of inflammation and autophagy. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Apr 5 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Apr 5. PMID: 37049611 Abstract Title: Hydroxytyrosol Interference with Inflammaging via Modulation of Inflammation and Autophagy. Abstract: Inflammaging refers to a chronic, systemic, low-grade inflammation, driven by immune (mainly macrophages) and non-immune cells stimulated by endogenous/self, misplaced or altered molecules, belonging to physiological aging. This age-related inflammatory status is characterized by increased inflammation and decreased macroautophagy/autophagy (a degradation process that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional cell components). Inflammaging predisposes to age-related diseases, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as vulnerability to infectious diseases and vaccine failure, representing thus a major target for anti-aging strategies. Phenolic compounds-found in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)-are well known for their beneficial effect on longevity. Among them, hydroxytyrosol (HTyr) appears to greatly contribute to healthy aging by its documented potent antioxidant activity. In addition, HTyr can modulate inflammation and autophagy, thus possibly counteracting and reducing inflammaging. In this review, we reference the literature on pure HTyr as a modulatory agent of inflammation and autophagy, in order to highlight its possible interference with inflammaging. This HTyr-mediated activity might contribute to healthy aging and delay the development or progression of diseases related to aging.
03:16
Role of hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein in the prevention of aging and related disorders. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Apr 4 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Apr 4. PMID: 37049607 Abstract Title: Role of Hydroxytyrosol and Oleuropein in the Prevention of Aging and Related Disorders: Focus on Neurodegeneration, Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction and Gut Microbiota. Abstract: Aging is a multi-faceted process caused by the accumulation of cellular damage over time, associated with a gradual reduction of physiological activities in cells and organs. This degeneration results in a reduced ability to adapt to homeostasis perturbations and an increased incidence of illnesses such as cognitive decline, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and skeletal muscle pathologies. Key features of aging include a chronic low-grade inflammation state and a decrease of the autophagic process. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with longevity and ability to counteract the onset of age-related disorders. Extra virgin olive oil, a fundamental component of this diet, contains bioactive polyphenolic compounds as hydroxytyrosol (HTyr) and oleuropein (OLE), known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This review is focused on brain, skeletal muscle, and gut microbiota, as these systems are known to interact at several levels. After the description of the chemistry and pharmacokinetics of HTyr and OLE, we summarize studies reporting their effects in in vivo and in vitro models of neurodegenerative diseases of the central/peripheral nervous system, adult neurogenesis and depression, senescence and lifespan, and age-related skeletal muscle disorders, as well as their impact on the composition of the gut microbiota.
02:51
People Are Just Now Learning The Purpose Of The Pinky Toe Healthy Holistic Living
Despite their diminutive size, our toes, often relegated to an inconsequential role, are far more significant than we might imagine. They may not bear the noble task of grasping onto tree branches anymore, but these little piggies, as we fondly call them, serve several integral functions, including facilitating our ability to run and providing balance. This article aims to delve into the profound importance of human toes, from the energetic efficiency of their size to the surprisingly essential role of the smallest toe: the pinky.
The Efficiency of Short Toes
When it comes to running, evolution seems to have favored the efficiency of shorter toes. According to a 2009 study, individuals with longer toes had to expend significantly more energy to run. This implies an evolutionary advantage for us bipeds, with stubbier toes reducing the energy cost of locomotion.
- Key Findings of the Study:
- Long toes contribute to higher energy consumption during running.
- Short toes offer an energy-saving advantage, particularly for long-distance running.
However, another facet of the study found that sprinters tend to have longer toes, which could grant them a burst of speed, albeit at the cost of higher energy expenditure. Therefore, toe length might confer specific advantages depending on the mode of locomotion, whether sprinting or long-distance running.
The Important Role of the Pinky Toe
The little pinky toe, often perceived as a seemingly superfluous appendage, is surprisingly critical for our balance and movement. According to Dr. Bruce Pinker, a podiatrist from Progressive Foot Care, the purpose of the pinky toe is to offer balance and propulsion. As we step forward, our foot rolls from the lateral (outer) side to the medial (inner) side, involving all our toes in this complex process.
Interestingly, the knuckle of the pinky toe plays a more vital role than many of its neighbors. As Dr. Wenjay Sung, an attending physician at White Memorial Medical Group explains, we walk in a tripod-like fashion, where the big toe knuckle, the fifth toe knuckle, and the heel work together. The absence of any part of this tripod would destabilize our balance.
- The Pinky Toes Roles:
- Provides balance
- Facilitates propulsion
- Part of the tripod mechanism in walking
While people are born without pinky toes or lose them due to illness or accidents and adjust to walking without them, the absence of this little toe c...
02:39
Dental Revolution: Drug Therapy for Tooth Regeneration is Set for Human Clinical Trials Next Year Healthy Holistic Living
Tooth loss is a significant issue for many, particularly among the elderly. As stated by the CDC, 17 percent of older individuals in the U.S. have lost all their teeth. This can dramatically impact their quality of life, limiting their dietary options and affecting their self-esteem.
Recently, however, Japanese researchers at the Graduate School of Medicine at Kyoto University have been working on a groundbreaking solution: a drug therapy designed to stimulate tooth regeneration. Reports from Japanese media suggest that the first human clinical trials for this promising drug could commence as early as next year. If all goes well, tooth regrowth treatment could become available for general public use by 2030.
The Foundation: USAG-1 Protein and Tooth Regrowth
The foundation of this potential breakthrough stems from a 2021 study led by the same research team. The study revealed the important role of a protein called USAG-1 in regulating tooth growth. This protein suppresses tooth development, and by deactivating the gene that triggers USAG-1 production, the researchers found that mice could naturally regrow their teeth.
Following this discovery, the team developed a neutralizing antibody drug therapy capable of blocking the proteins function, thus prompting tooth regrowth. Further tests on ferrets, whose dental patterns are similar to humans, yielded encouraging results, fueling optimism about the potential applicability of the therapy in humans.
The Journey Ahead: From Animal Models to Human Trials
While the initial research and animal studies offer promising results, translating these findings into a practical, safe, and effective treatment for humans is the next challenge. As reported by the Mainichi newspaper, the researchers plan to initiate clinical trials in July 2024.
Katsu Takahashi, head of the Dentistry & Oral Surgery department at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka, expresses his enthusiasm and optimism about the prospects of the trial. The idea of growing new teeth is every dentists dream. Ive been working on this since I was a graduate student. I was confident Id be able to make it happen, Takahashi told the newspaper.
He further added, We hope to pave the way for the medicines clinical use.
A Possible Solution for a Global Issue
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22:49
Are You Really Vitamin D Deficient? 4 Things to Consider Healthy Holistic Living
Taking vitamin D in Western culture has quickly become an if some is good, more is better game of taking chances on mega-dose supplements.
But there are problems. Major problems, that no-one is talking about. Till now.
Problem #1 The deficiency ranges:
What even classifies vitamin D deficiency? The answer varies, in short, It depends on who you talk to. Some of the biggest authorities wildly disagree:
The Vitamin D Council definition [1]:
Deficient: 040 ng/ml
Sufficient: 4080 ng/ml
High normal: 80100 ng/ml
The Endocrine Society definition [1]:
Deficiency 20 ng/ml
Insufficiency = 2029 ng/ml
The Institute of Medicine definition [1]:
Risk/deficiency 12 ng/ml
Risk/insufficiency = 1220 ng/ml
Sufficient = 20 ng/ml
So depending on your medical authorities, you could be considered deficient and sufficient at the same time.
Problem #2 Reasons vitamin D can be low that dont stem from not enough vitamin D:
The following summarizes some of the reasons vitamin D 25(OH)D (storage form of vitamin D) can be low that do not indicate you need to supplement with vitamin D3:
- Low magnesium [2]
- Low boron [3]
- Low vitamin C [4]
- Inflammation/infection as someone who...
20:00
Best Of: Right To Know Age of Autism The Rebel Alliance!
Cathy is enjoying a lazy, crazy, hazy day
of Summer. Please enjoy this Best Of!
By Cathy Jameson
The chance to educate parents in Oklahoma of the risks associated with products advertised for children known to have side effects was recently squashed. As a former consumer of these products, learning about the decision to withhold information was disturbing. It reminded me of a time when I traded my ignorance for blind trust.
--
When Im shopping and see something that I want for my children, I take a few things into consideration before putting the item in my cart. I ask myself if it is child-friendly and something my kids will like to use or play with. After determining if it is, and that I can afford to make the purchase, I look over the product and review its quality. Is it well made? Does it meet safety standards? Does the company who manufactures it have a good reputation? If I discover that a flaw in the product after purchasing it, will I be able to return or replace it? Simple questions, as a consumer they are valid and serve a purpose.
Now, if Im at the grocery store shopping for my children, I ask myself different questions when I see something that I want to buy them. As I scan the ingredient list, I ask myself, does the product have nutritional value? Is the particular food healthy not by industry standards, but my familys standards? With the information right there on the box, I can easily choose to put the item in my cart or not.
My kids dont love how much I scrutinize products that come into our home, but since Im responsible for their health, safety and well-being, when it comes to food, technology and health care products, I like to get as much information as I can about the things Im choosing for them. Most of the items I purchase list exactly what I wish to know and what I need to know.
The right to know whats in a product is a basic yet necessary concept all consumers should be entitled to. It should extend to all products marketed and sold to parents, but I find that it does not always happen in the medical world.
Instead of gaining access to information,...
12:23
Glycolysis, a new mechanism of oleuropein against liver tumor. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Phytomedicine. 2023 Jun ;114:154770. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PMID: 36963367 Abstract Title: Glycolysis, a new mechanism of oleuropein against liver tumor. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Benign and malignant liver tumors are prevalent worldwide. However, there is no effective and comprehensive treatment option for many patients with malignant tumors. Thus, it is critical to prevent benign tumors from worsening, increasing the number of treatment options and effective medications against malignant liver tumors. Oleuropein is a natural and non-toxic product and inhibits tumor growth in various ways.METHODS: We employed bioinformatics analysis and molecular docking to identify potential targets of oleuropein. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to determine the direct binding strength of the target and compounds. Essential functionalities of the targets were analyzed using gene interference approaches. Transcriptomic studies were performed to observe the global genomic alterations occurring inside cells. Changes in glycolytic metabolites and gene and protein expressions were also detected. The anti-tumor benefits of oleuropein in vivo were determined using a tumor-bearing mouse model.RESULTS: Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) was found to be a direct target of oleuropein. GPI discontinuation in liver tumor cells altered the expression of many genes, causing glycogenolysis. GPI interference was associated with PYGM and PFKFB4 inhibitors to inhibit glycolysis in liver tumors. Oleuropein inhibited glycolysis and showed good anti-tumor activity in vivo without adverse side effects.CONCLUSIONS: GPI is a crucial enzyme in glycolysis and the immediate target of oleuropein. GPI expression inside tumor cells affects different physiological functions and signal transduction. Oleuropein has depicted anti-tumor action in vivo without harmful side effects. Moreover, it can control tumor glycolysis through GPI.
12:22
Oleuropein attenuates oxidative stress in human trophoblast cells. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jan 14 ;12(1). Epub 2023 Jan 14. PMID: 36671060 Abstract Title: Oleuropein Attenuates Oxidative Stress in Human Trophoblast Cells. Abstract: Olive-derived bioactive compound oleuropein was evaluated against damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in human trophoblast cells, by examining the changes in several markers implicated in oxidative stress interactions in the placenta. Trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells were preincubated with OLE at 10 and 100M and exposed to HO, as a model of oxidative stress. Protein and lipid peroxidation, as well as antioxidant enzymes' activity, were determined spectrophotometrically, and DNA damage was evaluated by comet assay. iNOS protein expression was assessed by Western blot, while the mRNA expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic genesandand transcription factor, as well as cytokinesandwere determined by qPCR. Oleuropein demonstrated cytoprotective effects against HOin trophoblast cells by significantly improving the antioxidant status and preventing protein and lipid damage, as well as reducing the iNOS levels. OLE reduced the mRNA expression ofandhowever, it did not influence the expression ofor theratio after HOexposure. Oleuropein per se did not lead to any adverse effects in HTR-8/SVneo cells under the described conditions, confirming its safety. In conclusion, it significantly attenuated oxidative damage and restored antioxidant functioning, confirming its protective role in trophoblast.
12:20
Olive leaves extract and oleuropein improve insulin sensitivity. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2023 ;2023:6828230. Epub 2023 Jan 7. PMID: 36647430 Abstract Title: Olive Leaves Extract and Oleuropein Improve Insulin Sensitivity in 3T3-L1 Cells and in High-Fat Diet-Treated Rats via PI3K/AkT Signaling Pathway. Abstract: Olive leaves extracts are known to exert potential pharmacological activities especially, antidiabetic and antiobesity. This study explores the anti-insulin resistant effect of olive leaves extracts and oleuropein in 3T3-L1 cells and in high-fat diet fed rats. Our results showed that ethanol extract (EE) suppressed significantly (
12:13
These results highlighted the multiple properties and applications of an O. europaea extract concentrated in polyphenols. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Plants (Basel). 2022 Dec 21 ;12(1). Epub 2022 Dec 21. PMID: 36616158 Abstract Title: Nocellara Del Belice (L. Cultivar): Leaf Extract Concentrated in Phenolic Compounds and Its Anti-Inflammatory and Radical Scavenging Activity. Abstract: L. is a plant belonging to the Oleaceae family, widely grown around the Mediterranean Basin and its leaves are a source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. Among these, oleuropein and luteolin-7-O-glucoside represent two major polyphenolic compounds in olive-leaf extract. Herein, a polystyrene resin was used to recover the polyphenolic fraction from the acetone-water leaf extract from Nocellara del Belice cultivar, which showed the higher level of analysed bioactive compounds, compared to Carolea cultivar. The antioxidant activity of the extract concentrated in phenolic compounds (OLECp) was evaluated through a classical assay and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) for DPPH and hydroxyl radicals scavenging. Thus, the anti-inflammatory activity and the potential beneficial effects in reducing lipid accumulation in an in vitro model of NAFLD using McA-RH7777 cells exposed to oleic acid (OA) were evaluated. Nile Red and Oil Red O have been used to stain the lipid accumulation, while the inflammatory status was assessed by Cytokines Bioplex Assay. OLECp (TPC: 92.939.35 mg GAE/g, TFC: 728.1216.04 mg RE/g; 1 g of extract contains 315.250 mg of oleuropein and 17.44 mg of luteolin-7-O-glucoside) exerted a good radical scavenging capability (IC: 2.300.18 mg/mL) with a neutralizing power against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals, as confirmed by the decreased signal area of the EPR spectra. Moreover, OLECp at concentration of 25, 50 and 100g/mL counteracted the intracellular inflammatory status, as result of decreased intracellular lipid content. Our results highlighted the multiple properties and applications of anextract concentrated in polyphenols, and the possibility to formulate novel nutraceuticals with antioxidant properties, destined to ameliorate human health.
12:02
Tanshinone IIA enhances the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Control Release. 2023 Jun ;358:13-26. Epub 2023 Apr 26. PMID: 37086952 Abstract Title: Tanshinone IIA enhances the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via up-regulating miR-223-5p. Abstract: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) is a serious obstacle for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) to benefit from post-ischemic reflow. The low immunogenicity and low carcinogenicity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived exosomes (exo) offer advantage in treating myocardial injuries. Tanshinone IIA (TSA) is an effective drug for MI/RI treatment. However, the underlying mechanism and targets remain obscure. In this study, we systematically investigated the therapeutic effect and its mechanism of TSA-pretreated MSC-derived exosomes (TSA-MSC) in ameliorating MI/RI in rats. Expectedly, the MI/RI was significantly relieved by TSA-MSCcompared with MSC. Moreover, the overexpression of CCR2 in rats' heart was used to determine CCR2 had a regulatory effect on monocyte infiltration and angiogenesis after MI/RI. MiRNA microarray analysis of MSCand TSA-MSCrevealed miR-223-5p an effective candidate mediator for TSA-MSCto exert its cardioprotective function and CCR2 as the downstream target. In summary, our findings indicated that miR-223-5p packaged in TSA-MSCinhibited CCR2 activation to reduce monocyte infiltration and enhanced angiogenesis to alleviate MI/RI. Thus, the development of cell free therapies for exosomes derived from the combination TSA and MSC provides an effective strategy for the clinical therapies of ischemic cardiomyopathy.
12:00
Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibits skin cancer progression. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev. 2023 Apr 24:1-13. Epub 2023 Apr 24. PMID: 37092869 Abstract Title: Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibits skin cancer progression via miR-199a-5p/SOX4. Abstract: Although miR-199a-5p is linked to the development of numerous cancers, its regulatory role in skin cancer is unclear. In this work, the impact of miR-199a-5p produced by adipose-derived stem cells on malignant melanoma skin cancer was investigated.30 pair tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were obtained from skin cancer patients. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSCs) were isolated from adipose tissues harvested from healthy subjects. The mRNA relative expression was evaluated via qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation ability was measured via CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis was evaluated via flow cytometry. The connection between miR-199a-5p and SOX4 was confirmed via luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was conducted to evaluate protein expression. MiR-199a-5p was higher expressed in ADSCs exosomes and was lower expressed in skin cancer tissues and cells. ADSCs-derived exosomes inhibited cell invasion of skin cancer. MiR-199a-5p inhibitor enhanced cell viability and invasion. In addition, miR-199a-5p inhibitor suppressed cell apoptosis. MiR-199a-5p NC transfected ADSCs inhibited cell viability and invasion while miR-199a-5p mimic transfected ADSCs further inhibited cell viability and invasion. In addition, miR-199a-5p NC transfected ADSCs enhanced cell apoptosis while miR-199a-5p mimic transfected ADSCs further enhanced cell apoptosis. Luciferase supported the targetscan prediction that miR-199a-5p might control SOX4 expression. SOX4 expression was noticeably lower in the miR-199a-5p mimic group.Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibited skin cancer progression via miR-199a-5p/SOX4.
11:58
miR-30e-3p in natural killer cell-derived exosomes inhibits the proliferation and invasion of human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Xi Bao Yu Fen Zi Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2023 Apr ;39(4):295-302. PMID: 37087546 Abstract Title: [miR-30e-3p in natural killer cell-derived exosomes inhibits the proliferation and invasion of human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells]. Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of natural killer (NK)-cell-derived miR-30e-3p-containing exosomes (Exo) on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. Methods NK cells were isolated and amplified from the peripheral blood of healthy donors, and NK cell-derived Exo was isolated and identified, which were further co-cultured with NEC cells and were randomly grouped into Exo1 and Exo2 groups. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the morphology and size of exosomes. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of exosome markers apoptosis related gene 2- interacting protein X(ALIX), tumor susceptibility gene 101(TSG101), CD81 and calnexin. The NC plasmids, mimics and inhibitors of miR030e-3p were respectively delivered into the NK cells, and the corresponding NK cells-derived Exo were co-cultured with NEC cells, which were divided into NC, Exo, mimic and inhibitor groups. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cell proliferation, flow cytometry was conducted to determine cell cycle, annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was employed to detect cell apoptosis, and Transwellassay was performed to detect cell invasion abilities. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-23b, miR-422a, miR-133b, miR-124, miR-30e-3p and miR-99a in NCE cells and exosomes. Results The percentages of CD56CD3cells and CD56CD16cells in NK cells were (0.0710.008)% and (90.610.6)%, respectively. Exosome isolated from NK cells ranged from 30 nm to 150 nm, and was positive for ALIX, TSG101 and CD81, while negative for calnexin. NK cell-derived Exos inhibited the proliferation, reduced the proportion of S-phase cells and the number of invaded cells of NEC cells, and promoted the apoptosis and the proportion of G1 phase cells. Overexpression of miR-30E-3p in NK cell-derived exosome inhibited the proliferation and invasion of NEC cells, and blocked cell cycle and promoted apoptosis, while knockdown miR-30e-3p in NK cell-derived exosomes did the opposite. Conclusion miR-30e-3p in NK cell-derived exosomes can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of ESCC cells, block their cell cycle and induce their apoptosis.
11:57
The muscle-gut-brain axis and psychiatric illness. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Adv Biol (Weinh). 2023 Jun ;7(6):e2200214. Epub 2023 Apr 20. PMID: 37080945 Abstract Title: The Muscle-Gut-Brain Axis and Psychiatric Illness. Abstract: The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) has been the subject of much research over the past decade, offering an exciting new paradigm for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In this review, the MGBA is extended to include skeletal muscle and the potential role of an expanded "muscle-gut-brain axis" (MuGBA) in conditions such as anxiety and depression is discussed. There is evidence, from both preclinical and human studies, of bidirectional links between the gut microbiome and skeletal muscle function and structure. The therapeutic role of exercise in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms is widely recognised, and the potential role of the gut microbiota-skeletal muscle link is discussed within this context. Potential pathways of communication involved in the MuGBA including the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway, intestinal permeability, immune modulation, and bacterial metabolites such as short-chain-fatty-acids are explored.
11:07
Gut microbiota dysbiosis correlates with long COVID-19 at one-year after discharge. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Korean Med Sci. 2023 Apr 17 ;38(15):e120. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37069814 Abstract Title: Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Correlates With Long COVID-19 at One-Year After Discharge. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in recovered patients (RPs) is gradually recognized by more people. However, how long it will last and the underlining mechanism remains unclear.METHODS: We conducted a prospective follow-up study to evaluate the long-term symptoms and clinical indices of RPs at one-year after discharge from Union Hospital, Wuhan, China between December 2020 to May 2021. We also performed the 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples from RPs and healthy controls (HCs) and analyzed the correlation between the gut microbiota and long COVID-19.RESULTS: In total, 187 RPs were enrolled, among them, 84 (44.9%) RPs reported long COVID-19 symptoms at one-year after discharge. The most common long-term symptoms were cardiopulmonary symptoms, including chest tightness after activity (39/187, 20.9%), palpitations on exercise (27/187, 14.4%), sputum (21/187, 11.2%), cough (15/187, 8.0%) and chest pain (13/187, 7.0%), followed by systemic symptoms including fatigue (34/187, 18.2%) and myalgia (20/187, 10.7%), and digestive symptoms including constipation (14/187, 7.5%), anorexia (13/187, 7.0%), and diarrhea (8/187, 4.3%). Sixty-six (35.9%) RPs presented either anxiety or depression (42/187 [22.8%] and 53/187 [28.8%] respectively), and the proportion of anxiety or depression in the long symptomatic group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic group (41/187 [50.6%] vs. 25/187 [24.3%]). Compared with the asymptomatic group, scores of all nine 36-Item Short Form General Health Survey domains were lower in the symptomatic group (all
10:48
Probiotic therapy, African fermented foods and food-derived bioactive peptides in the management of SARS-CoV-2 cases. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2023 Jun ;38:e00795. Epub 2023 Apr 2. PMID: 37041970 Abstract Title: Probiotic therapy, African fermented foods and food-derived bioactive peptides in the management of SARS-CoV-2 cases and other viral infections. Abstract: The current paper focuses on the impact of probiotics, African fermented foods and bioactive peptides on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection severity and related viral infections. Using probiotics or bioactive peptides as therapeutic adjuncts appears superior to standard care alone. Probiotics play critical roles in innate and adaptive immune modulation by balancing the gut microbiota to combat viral infections, secondary bacterial infections and microbial dysbiosis. African fermented foods contain abundant potential probiotic microorganisms such as the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Saccharomyces, and Bacillus. More so, fermented food-derived bioactive peptides play vital roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, lung injury, diabetes, and other COVID-19 comorbidities. Regularly incorporating potential probiotics and bioactive peptides into diets should enable a build-up of the benefits in the body system that may result in a better prognosis, especially in COVID-19 patients with underlying complexities. Despite the reported therapeutic potentials of probiotics and fermented foods, numerous setbacks exist regarding their application in disease management. These shortfalls underscore an evident need for more studies to evaluate the specific potentials of probiotics and traditional fermented foods in ameliorating SARS-CoV-2 and other viral infections.
10:43
Effect of probiotics as an immune modulator for the management of COVID-19. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Arch Microbiol. 2023 Apr 9 ;205(5):182. Epub 2023 Apr 9. PMID: 37031431 Abstract Title: Effect of probiotics as an immune modulator for the management of COVID-19. Abstract: COVID-19, an acute respiratory viral infection conveyed by pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected millions of individuals globally, and is a public health emergency of international concern. Till now, there are no highly effective therapies for this infection without vaccination. As they can evolve quickly and cross the strain level easily, these viruses are causing epidemics or pandemics that are allied with more severe clinical diseases. A new approach is needed to improve immunity to confirm the protection against emerging viral infections. Probiotics can modify gut microbial dysbiosis, improve the host immune system, and stimulate immune signaling, increasing systemic immunity. Several probiotic bacterial therapies have been proven to decrease the period of bacterial or viral infections. Superinduction of inflammation, termed cytokine storm, has been directly linked with pneumonia and severe complications of viral respiratory infections. In this case, probiotics as potential immunomodulatory agents can be an appropriate candidate to improve the host's response to respiratory viral infections. During this COVID-19 pandemic, any approach that can induce mucosal and systemic immunity could be helpful. Here, we summarize contexts regarding the effectiveness of various probiotics for preventing virus-induced respiratory infectious diseases, especially those that could be employed for COVID-19 patients. In addition, the effects of probiotics, their mechanisms on different aspects of immune responses against respiratory viral infection, and their antiviral properties in clinical findings have been described in detail.
10:40
Gut and airway microbiota dysbiosis and their role in COVID-19 and long-COVID. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Front Immunol. 2023 ;14:1080043. Epub 2023 Mar 8. PMID: 36969243 Abstract Title: Gut and airway microbiota dysbiosis and their role in COVID-19 and long-COVID. Abstract: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in human health and disease. Gut dysbiosis is known to be associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory diseases and modifications in the immune response and homeostasis of the lungs (the so-called gut-lung axis). Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted the possible role of dysbiosis in neurological disturbances, introducing the notion of the "gut-brain axis." During the last 2 years, several studies have described the presence of gut dysbiosis during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its relationship with disease severity, SARS-CoV-2 gastrointestinal replication, and immune inflammation. Moreover, the possible persistence of gut dysbiosis after disease resolution may be linked to long-COVID syndrome and particularly to its neurological manifestations. We reviewed recent evidence on the association between dysbiosis and COVID-19, investigating the possible epidemiologic confounding factors like age, location, sex, sample size, the severity of disease, comorbidities, therapy, and vaccination status on gut and airway microbial dysbiosis in selected studies on both COVID-19 and long-COVID. Moreover, we analyzed the confounding factors strictly related to microbiota, specifically diet investigation and previous use of antibiotics/probiotics, and the methodology used to study the microbiota (- and-diversity parameters and relative abundance tools). Of note, only a few studies focused on longitudinal analyses, especially for long-term observation in long-COVID. Lastly, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the role of microbiota transplantation and other therapeutic approaches and their possible impact on disease progression and severity. Preliminary data seem to suggest that gut and airway dysbiosis might play a role in COVID-19 and in long-COVID neurological symptoms. Indeed, the development and interpretation of these data could have important implications for future preventive and therapeutic strategies.
10:09
SARS-CoV-2 infection alters the gut microbiome in diabetes patients. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Med Virol. 2023 Apr ;95(4):e28691. PMID: 36946508 Abstract Title: SARS-CoV-2 infection alters the gut microbiome in diabetes patients: A cross-sectional study from Bangladesh. Abstract: Populations of different South Asian nations including Bangladesh reportedly have a high risk of developing diabetes in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the gut microbiome of COVID-19-positive participants with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared with healthy control subjects. Microbiome data of 30 participants with T2DM were compared with 22 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched individuals. Clinical features were recorded while fecal samples were collected aseptically from the participants. Amplicon-based (16S rRNA) metagenome analyses were employed to explore the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and its correlation with genomic and functional features in COVID-19 patients with or without T2DM. Comparing the detected bacterial genera across the sample groups, 98 unique genera were identified, of which 9 genera had unique association with COVID-19 T2DM patients. Among different bacterial groups, Shigella (25%), Bacteroides (23.45%), and Megamonas (15.90%) had higher mean relative abundances in COVID-19 patients with T2DM. An elevated gut microbiota dysbiosis in T2DM patients with COVID-19 was observed while some metabolic functional changes correlated with bidirectional microbiome dysbiosis between diabetes and non-diabetes humans gut were also found. These results further highlight the possible association of COVID-19 infection that might be linked with alteration of gut microbiome among T2DM patients.
10:00
New Book Reveals the Uncensored History of AIDS Articles
In this video, I interview journalist Celia Farber about her recently republished book, "Serious Adverse Events: An Uncensored History of AIDS." As a young reporter working for SPIN magazine, Farber started questioning the official narrative around AIDS, and this book is the outgrowth of her decades-long investigation into and writing about this "hot potato" topic.
Long before censorship went mainstream, Farber was put through the wringer. In 2006, she published an article in Harper's Magazine titled "Out of Control: AIDS and the Corruption of Medical Science." In it, she highlighted the work of virologist and retrobiologist Peter Duesberg, who insisted that HIV doesn't cause AIDS.
In my view, Duesberg was brilliant, but like so many other brilliant scientists, he was widely discredited for not going along with the narrative promoted by the conventional medical establishment.
As a result of her reporting, Farber was vehemently attacked by leading AIDS researchers and activists,1 so much so, she ended up suing three of the attackers for defamation. The New York County Supreme Court dismissed2 her claim in 2011 and upheld the verdict in 2013. Still, she did not quit or back down, and kept searching for the truth.
'The Passion of Duesberg'
As explained by Farber, Duesberg worked at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, one of the most well-respected scientific institutions in the world. After moving to the United States, he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
In 1987, he published a paper in Cancer Research, proposing that retroviruses are not the cause of cancer, nor the cause of AIDS. According to his scientific biographer, this was the paper that "sealed his scientific doom forever after." Farber notes:
"Duesberg mapped the genetic structure of retroviruses. So to him, yes, they were entities, but no, they didn't do anything. They didn't infect or kill cells. They were harmless. And he had phrases like, 'HIV, that's a pussycat. It's not going to do anything. Saying that HIV is going to cause AIDS is like saying you're going to conquer China by killing three soldiers a day.'
In other words, there's no 'there' there. There was no cell death. And fascinatingly, or disturbingly, the HIV orthodoxy never contested that. So, I would say they had a supernatural belief in HIV. They would say, 'We just know HIV causes AIDS,' and anybody who doesn't know that is dangerous, homophobic, murderous and so forth."
...
The Dangers of Copper Deficiency and Iron Overload Articles
Here, I interview repeat guest Morley Robbins, MBA, CHC,1 founder of the Magnesium Advocacy Group and author of Cu-RE Your Fatigue: The Root Cause and How to Fix It on Your Own.
While weve discussed the topic of iron and copper before, the percentage of doctors and natural medical clinicians who understand his work is probably about 1% or less, so its well worth revisiting. Besides, its near-impossible to learn this information in a single interview without repeated review of these vital principles.
Iron is often viewed as a universal panacea that most need more of, but nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that almost everyone, with the exception of menstruating women, or those with large blood losses, have too much iron.
Conversely, copper is often considered toxic, yet most people are deficient and actually need more in order for their iron metabolism to function properly. Without copper, your iron will not recycle properly, resulting in what appears to be a low iron level upon testing.
The real problem, however, is not low iron but low copper. Adding iron will only worsen the situation as excess iron is extremely damaging to your cardiovascular system. Iron rusts, and thats basically what happens in your blood vessels as well.
Effects of Copper Deficiency
Robbins cites animal research2 from 2009 that looked at what happens to genes (which are responsible for encoding proteins) when rats are denied copper. As it turns out, six genes (and subsequent proteins) are down-regulated or turned off, while one gene in particular, transferrin, is upregulated, as follows:
- Beta-enolase (ENO3)
- Carbonic anhydrase, which increases carbon dioxide access, carbonic acid, protons and bicarbonate ions. Carbonic anhydrase is billed as a zinc enzyme but its actually a copper enzyme
- Aldose reductase-1, which plays a crucial role in glucose and fructose metabolism
- Glutathione peroxidase (GPX), one of your master antioxidant enzymes, which is copper dependent
- Muscle creatine kinase, which your muscles need to function as it plays an important role in energy production
- Mitochondrial aconitase, which is involved in iron metabolism in the mitochondria
- Transferrin, w...
The Harmful Effects of Electromagnetic Fields Explained Articles
Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published September 3, 2017.
I've often noted that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are a pernicious, hidden health risk. But exactly how does this kind of microwave radiation damage your health? Martin Pall, Ph.D., has identified and published research describing the likely molecular mechanisms of how EMFs from cellphones and wireless technologies damage plants, animals and humans.1,2,3,4
Pall has a bachelor's in physics from Johns Hopkins and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and genetics from Caltech, and is uniquely qualified for this type of research. For the past 18 years, he's been scouring the medical literature, integrating and drawing parallels between work done by others to answer this pressing question. Pall explains:
"There is a huge amount of information out here that nobody has the time to integrate, digest and make connections [between]. That's what I've been doing I was interested in EMFs before I could understand how they worked. Then I stumbled onto two papers that told me, 'Well, this looks like the way they work,' and then I dug out more and more papers
What the [initial two] studies showed was that you could block or greatly lower the effects [of EMF] by using calcium channel blockers That was the key observation
Now [I have found] 26 [papers] They all show that EMFs work by activating what are called voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). These are channels in the outer membrane of the cell, the plasma membrane that surrounds all our cells. When they're activated, they open up and allow calcium to flow into the cell. It's the excess calcium in the cell which is responsible for most if not all of the [biological effects]."
EMFs and Intracellular Calcium
When you expose cells to EMFs, there's increased intercellular calcium. You also get increases in calcium signaling, which is important as well, in terms of explaining the damage EMFs cause. For the past 25 years, the industry has claimed that non-ionizing radiation is harmless and that the only radiation worth worrying about is ionizing radiation. Pall's research unequivocally proves that this assumption is false.
"It's been very clear, going back all the way to 1971 and even before that, that this wasn't true. But...
09:08
Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (asymptomatic and mild) had a greater incidence of antibiotic resistance genes and a greater microbial burden than the SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 13 ;13(1):4122. Epub 2023 Mar 13. PMID: 36914691 Abstract Title: A multicentre study reveals dysbiosis in the microbial co-infection and antimicrobial resistance gene profile in the nasopharynx of COVID-19 patients. Abstract: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the nasopharyngeal microbiome has not been well characterised. We sequenced genetic material extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs of SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals who were asymptomatic (n=14), had mild (n=64) or severe symptoms (n=11), as well as from SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals who had never-been infected (n=5) or had recovered from infection (n=7). Using robust filters, we identified 1345 taxa with approximately 0.1% or greater read abundance. Overall, the severe cohort microbiome was least diverse. Bacterial pathogens were found in all cohorts, but fungal species identifications were rare. Few taxa were common between cohorts suggesting a limited human nasopharynx core microbiome. Genes encoding resistance mechanisms to 10 antimicrobial classes (>25% sequence coverages, 315 genes, 63 non-redundant) were identified, with-lactam resistance genes near ubiquitous. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (asymptomatic and mild) had a greater incidence of antibiotic resistance genes and a greater microbial burden than the SARS-CoV-2-negative individuals. This should be considered when deciding how to treat COVID-19 related bacterial infections.
09:02
Gut microbiota and hypertension: association, mechanisms and treatment. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Clin Exp Hypertens. 2023 Dec 31 ;45(1):2195135. PMID: 36994745 Abstract Title: Gut microbiota and hypertension: association, mechanisms and treatment. Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardio-cerebral vascular diseases, which brings a heavy economic burden to society and becomes a major public health problem. At present, the pathogenesis of hypertension is unclear. Increasing evidence has proven that the pathogenesis of hypertension is closely related to the dysbiosis of gut microbiota. We briefly reviewed relevant literature on gut microbiota and hypertension to summarize the relationship between gut microbiota and hypertension, linked the antihypertension effects of drugs with their modulation on gut microbiota, and discussed the potential mechanisms of various gut microbes and their active metabolites to alleviate hypertension, thus providing new research ideas for the development of antihypertension drugs.METHODS: The relevant literature was collected systematically from scientific database, including Elsevier, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Baidu Scholar, as well as other literature sources, such as classic books of herbal medicine.RESULTS: Hypertension can lead to gut microbiota imbalance and gut barrier dysfunction, including increased harmful bacteria and hydrogen sulfide and lipopolysaccharide, decreased beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids, decreased intestinal tight junction proteins and increased intestinal permeability. Gut microbiota imbalance is closely related to the occurrence and development of hypertension. At present, the main methods to regulate the gut microbiota include fecal microbiota transplantation, supplementation of probiotics, antibiotics, diet and exercise, antihypertensive drugs, and natural medicines.CONCLUSIONS: Gut microbiota is closely related to hypertension. Investigating the correlation between gut microbiota and hypertension may help to reveal the pathogenesis of hypertension from the perspective of gut microbiota, which is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
08:50
Physical exercise and diet: regulation of gut microbiota to prevent and treat metabolic disorders to maintain health. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Mar 22 ;15(6). Epub 2023 Mar 22. PMID: 36986268 Abstract Title: Physical Exercise and Diet: Regulation of Gut Microbiota to Prevent and Treat Metabolic Disorders to Maintain Health. Abstract: Each person's body is host to a large number and variety of gut microbiota, which has been described as the second genome and plays an important role in the body's metabolic process and is closely related to health. It is common knowledge that proper physical activity and the right diet structure can keep us healthy, and in recent years, researchers have found that this boost to health may be related to the gut microbiota. Past studies have reported that physical activity and diet can modulate the compositional structure of the gut microbiota and further influence the production of key metabolites of the gut microbiota, which can be an effective way to improve body metabolism and prevent and treat related metabolic diseases. In this review, we outline the role of physical activity and diet in regulating gut microbiota and the key role that gut microbiota plays in improving metabolic disorders. In addition, we highlight the regulation of gut microbiota through appropriate physical exercise and diet to improve body metabolism and prevent metabolic diseases, aiming to promote public health and provide a new approach to treating such diseases.
07:46
The findings show that participation in exercise of moderate to high-intensity is likely to produce changes in the gut microbiota. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Mar 22 ;15(6). Epub 2023 Mar 22. PMID: 36986264 Abstract Title: The Effect of Exercise Prescription on the Human Gut Microbiota and Comparison between Clinical and Apparently Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review. Abstract: This study systematically reviewed all human longitudinal exercise interventions that reported changes in the gut microbiota; frequency, intensity, duration and type of exercise were assessed to determine the influence of these variables on changes to the gut microbiota in both healthy individuals and clinical populations (PROPERO registration: CRD42022309854). Using PRISMA guidelines, trials analysing gut microbiota change with exercise interventions were included independent of trial randomisation, population, trial duration or analysis technique. Studies were excluded when microbiota abundance was not reported or when exercise was combined with other interventions. Twenty-eight trials were included, of which twelve involved healthy populations only and sixteen involved mixed or clinical-only populations. The findings show that participation in exercise of moderate to high-intensity for 30-90 min3 times per week (or between 150-270 min per week) for8 weeks is likely to produce changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise appears to be effective in modifying the gut microbiota in both clinical and healthy populations. A more robust methodology is needed in future studies to improve the certainty of the evidence.
07:42
A review of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Cureus. 2023 Mar ;15(3):e36565. Epub 2023 Mar 23. PMID: 37095805 Abstract Title: Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review Article. Abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a persistent set of symptoms that reduces one's goodness of life. The treatment of these people is usually focused on reducing the symptoms caused by the condition. This article examines the function of probiotics in alleviating symptoms in IBS patients. The goal of studying the impact of probiotics on IBS patients is to research the changes they cause to the gut microbiota, which may be beneficial in preventing and treating such diseases over time. This article also discusses the pathophysiology, diagnostic standards, therapeutic modalities, probiotic sources, and therapeutic relevance for IBS patients.
07:39
The role of probiotics as wound healers: an overall view. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Wound Care. 2023 May 2 ;32(5):318-328. PMID: 37094922 Abstract Title: The role of probiotics as wound healers: an overall view. Abstract: A wound is an injury to the skin or damage to the body tissue. The healing process differs between various kinds of wounds. Treatment of hard-to-heal (chronic) wounds becomes challenging for healthcare practitioners, especially if patients have underlying health complications such as diabetes. Infection of wounds is another factor that interferes with the healing process and extends its duration. Active research is being conducted into the development of advanced wound dressing technologies. These wound dressings are intended to manage the exudate, reduce bacterial infection and speed up the healing process. Probiotics have been receiving much attention because of their potential application in the clinical field, especially in diagnostics and treatment strategies of various infectious and non-infectious diseases. The host immune-modulatory response and antimicrobial activity of probiotics are expanding their role in the development of improved wound dressing technology.
07:17
Geoengineering Watch Global Alert News, July 8, 2023, #413 Geoengineering Watch
Dane Wigington GeoengineeringWatch.org "Biden
opens doors to geoengineering atmospheric chemical altering plan to
block sunlight". "The world needs to prepare for massive crop
failure". The former all time overall global high temperature
record was shattered on July 3rd, 2023. The next day, Tuesday, July
4th, 2023, Monday's record was broken. On Wednesday yet another new
record
07:11
Evaluation of probiotic effects of Lactobacilli on Mutans Streptococci. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Contemp Dent Pract. 2022 Oct 1 ;23(10):984-990. Epub 2022 Oct 1. PMID: 37073910 Abstract Title: Evaluation of Probiotic Effects of Lactobacilli on Mutans Streptococci: AnStudy. Abstract: AIM: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the probiotic effect ofandon clinical isolates of Mutans Streptococci (MS) and antibiotic susceptibility of these strains to commonly used antibiotics in dentistry.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plaque samples from permanent first molars were collected and transferred aseptically onto Mitis-Salivarius agar and incubated at 37C for 24 hours in the presence of 5-10% CO. Mutans streptococci colonies were identified biochemically using Hi-Strep identification kit. The inhibitory activity of the clinical strains of MS on Lactobacilli was investigated using agar-overlay interference technique. Positive inhibition was appreciated as a clear zone around the LactobacilliDisk diffusion assay was done as described by CLSI M100-S25 for antibiotic susceptibility. The zone of growth inhibition caused by Lactobacilli and antibiotics on MS clinical strains was measured directly using a vernier caliper. Statistical analysis was done using independent-test.RESULTS: Mutans streptococci exhibited positive inhibition with both the probiotic strains andshowed more zones of inhibition than. Antibiotic susceptibility of clinical strains of MS showed sensitivity to penicillin and vancomycin, however, tetracycline and erythromycin showed very few resistant strains. The highest zone of inhibition was shown by cephalothin followed by penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and vancomycin.CONCLUSION: andhave strong inhibitory effects on clinical strains of MS.showed a higher zone of inhibition. All the clinical strains of MS were sensitive to penicillin and vancomycin. The highest zone of inhibition was shown by cephalothin.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dental caries remains silent epidemic and increasing antibiotic resistance is another major challenge that threatens the world. Newer methods such as whole-bacteria replacement therapy using probiotics for decreasing harmful oral pathogens and reducing the intake of antibiotics must be explored. More researches to promote use of probiotics should be initiated due to its possible preventive and health maintenance benefits providing an end to new cavities and antibiotic resistance.
07:03
Gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism of star apple leaf polyphenol-enriched fraction on metabolic syndrome. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Phytomedicine. 2023 Jul ;115:154820. Epub 2023 Apr 12. PMID: 37094426 Abstract Title: Gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism of star apple leaf polyphenol-enriched fraction on metabolic syndrome in diabetic mice. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a kind of metabolic syndrome (MetS) that seriously threatens human health globally. The leaf of star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito L.) is an incompletely explored folk medicine on diabetes. And, the effects and mechanisms on diabetes complicated glycolipid metabolism disorders are unknown till now.PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the constituents of star apple leaf polyphenol enriched-fraction (SAP), and elucidate their treatment effects and mechanism on diabetes and accompanied other MetS.METHODS: The components of SAP were tentatively identified by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity was determined by the scavenging of free radicals and hypoglycemic activities by inhibition of-glucosidase in vitro. HepG2 cells were used for evaluating the alleviation effects of SAP on lipid accumulation. Streptozotocin and high-fat diet induced diabetic mice were grouped to evaluate the effects of different dosages of SAP. 16S rRNA was conducted to analysis gut microbiome-mediated glucose and lipid metabolism mechanism.RESULTS: It showed that myricitrin was one of the main active constituents of SAP. SAP not only showed low IC50 on -glucosidase (24.4270.626g/mL), OH(3.6800.054g/mL) and ABTS(9.1550.234g/mL), but significantly induced the lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells (p
07:01
Protective effect of apple polyphenols on H2O2-induced oxidative stress damage in human colon. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2023 ;71(4):262-268. PMID: 37005250 Abstract Title: Protective Effect of Apple Polyphenols on HO-Induced Oxidative Stress Damage in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Caco-2 Cells. Abstract: Apple is an important dietary agent for human and apple polyphenols (AP) are the main secondary metabolites of apples. In this study, the protective effects of AP on hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced oxidative stress damage in human colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells were investigated by cell viability, oxidative stress change as well as cell apoptosis. Pre-adding AP could significantly increase the survival rate of HO-treated Caco-2 cells. Besides, the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT) were elevated. While the malondialdehyde (MDA) content which is the major oxidant products of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) reduced after AP treatment. In addition, AP also suppressed the emergence of DNA fragment and decreased the expression of apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3. These results demonstrated that AP could ameliorate HO-induced oxidative stress damage in Caco-2 cells, which could serve as a reference for further studies of apple natural active products and deep study of the anti-oxidative stress mechanism.
06:26
Contribution of five major apple polyphenols in reducing peanut protein sensitization and alleviating allergencitiy of peanut. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Food Res Int. 2023 Feb ;164:112297. Epub 2022 Dec 8. PMID: 36737898 Abstract Title: Contribution of five major apple polyphenols in reducing peanut protein sensitization and alleviating allergencitiy of peanut by changing allergen structure. Abstract: Peanuts are prone to trigger allergic reactions with high mortality rate. There is currently no effective way to prevent peanut allergy. In order to reduce the allergy risk of peanuts, it's significant to reduce sensitization of peanut prior to ingestion. In this study, the effects of five major apple polyphenols (epicatechin, phlorizin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and catechin) -peanut protein on the sensitization of peanut allergens were studied by BALB/c peanut allergy model to access the contribution of each polyphenol in apple to peanut allergen sensitization reduction. Then, the mechanism was explored in terms of the effect of polyphenols on the simulated gastric digestion of peanut protein and the changes in structure of Ara h 1. The results showed that polyphenol binding could alleviate allergencitiy of peanut and regulate MAPK related signaling pathway. Among the five major apple polyphenols, epicatechin had the strongest inhibitory effect. The binding of epicatechin to the constitutive epitopes arginine led to changes in the spatial structure of Ara h 1, which resulted in the effective linear epitopes reduction. Modification of peanut allergens with polyphenols could effectively reduce the sensitization of peanut protein.
06:12
Pomegranate polyphenol punicalagin improves learning memory deficits, redox homeostasis, and neuroinflammation. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Phytother Res. 2023 Apr 24. Epub 2023 Apr 24. PMID: 37092799 Abstract Title: Pomegranate polyphenol punicalagin improves learning memory deficits, redox homeostasis, and neuroinflammation in aging mice. Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder characterized by loss of memory and cognitive dysfunction in the aged. Despite remarkable advances in drug therapy, effective pharmacological interventions are rare. Punicalagin (PU) is an active antioxidant polyphenol found in pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries, and chestnuts that has attracted considerable attention owing to its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The current study focused on the neuroprotective effect of PU on aging mice and its potential mechanisms. In this study, we first evaluated the protective effect of PU on neuro-2a (N2a) cell damage mediated by BV2 microglia-induced neuroinflammation. The in vivo D-galactose (D-gal)-induced brain aging model demonstrated that PU ameliorated deficits in learning and memory and prevented neuroinflammation, which was evident from the decrease in microglial activation and astrocytosis. Furthermore, PU reduced the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) in both accelerated aging and naturally senescent mouse models. PU effectively improved neuroinflammation, learning and memory deficits, and redox homeostasis in aging mice, and it could be a potential therapeutic agent for AD.
06:06
Pomegranate seeds and peel ethanolic extracts anticancer potentials. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Exp Pharmacol. 2023 ;15:191-205. Epub 2023 Apr 15. PMID: 37090425 Abstract Title: Pomegranate Seeds and Peel Ethanolic Extracts Anticancer Potentials and Related Genetic, Histological, Immunohistochemical, Apoptotic and Oxidative Stress Profiles: In vitro Study. Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Owing to their great quantity of hydrolyzable anthocyanins and tannins, the peel and seeds of pomegranate are edible and possess potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. This work aims to trace the pomegranate seed and peel ethanolic extracts' anticancer activity against liver cancer cell line, namely HepG2 and related histopathological, immunohistochemical, genetic and oxidative stress profile.METHODS: In vitro study for both seed and peel extract showed the prevalence of phenols, polyphenols and acids, those have anti-proliferative potential against liver cancer cell line (HepG2) with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of seed significantly reduced that of peel. Toxicity of test extracts was concentration dependent and accompanied with cell cycle arrest and cell death at theG0/G1 and S phases but not at the G2/M phase. Cell arrest was supplemented with raised ROS, MDA and decreased SOD, GSH and Catalase.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Apoptosis-related genes showed significant up-expression of pro-apoptotic gene (),,, andand down expression of anti-apoptotic gene (). Also, Casp-3 and P53 proteins were substantially expressed under the effect of test extracts. Histopathological study demonstrated that the untreated cells (control group) were regular cells with nuclear pleomorphism and hyperchromatic nuclei, while seed and peel extracts-treated cells showed necrosis, mixed euchromatin and heterochromatin, intra-nuclear eosinophilic structures, burst cell membranes, and the shrunken apoptotic cells with nuclear membranes and irregular cells. Finally,gene detected by immunohistochemistry was down regulated significantly under the effect of seed extract treatment than in case of cell medication with peel extract.
05:52
Pomegranate extract affects gut biofilm forming bacteria and promotes intestinal mucosal healing. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Apr 5 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Apr 5. PMID: 37049615 Abstract Title: Pomegranate Extract Affects Gut Biofilm Forming Bacteria and Promotes Intestinal Mucosal Healing Regulating the Crosstalk between Epithelial Cells and Intestinal Fibroblasts. Abstract: Pomegranate () can be used to prepare a bioactive extract exerting anti-inflammatory activities. Clinical studies demonstrated an improvement in clinical response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients when pomegranate extract () was taken as a complement to standard medications. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects are still scarcely investigated. This study investigates the effect ofon bacterial biofilm formation and the promotion of mucosal wound healing.The acute colitis model was induced in C57BL/6N mice by 3% dextran sodium sulfate administration in drinking water for 5 days. During the recovery phase of colitis, mice received saline or(200 mg/kg body weight) by oral gavage for 11 days. Colitis was scored daily by evaluating body weight loss, bleeding, and stool consistency. In vivo intestinal permeability was evaluated by fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran assay, bacterial translocation was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissues, whereas epithelial and mucus integrity were monitored by immunostaining for JAM-A and MUC-2 markers. Bacterial biofilm formation was assessed using microfluidic devices for 24 or 48 h. Primary fibroblasts were isolated from healthy and inflamed areas of 8 IBD patients, and Caco-2 cells were stimulated with or without(5g/mL). Inflammatory mediators were measured at the mRNA and protein level by RT-PCR, WB, or Bio-plex multiplex immunoassay, respectively.In vivo,boosted the recovery phase of colitis, promoting a complete restoration of the intestinal barrier with the regeneration of the mucus layer, as also demonstrated by the absence of bacterial spread into the mucosa and the enrichment of crypt-associated fibroblasts. Microfluidic experiments did not highlight a specific effect ofonbiofilm formation, even thoughbiofilm was slightly impaired in the presence of. In vitro, inflamed fibroblasts responded toby downregulating the release of metalloproteinases, IL-6, and IL-8 and upregulating the levels of HGF. Caco-2 cells cultured in a medium supplemented withincreased the expression ofand, whereas in the presence of HGF or plated with a fibroblast-conditioned medium, they displayed a decrease inandexpression and an increase in, a negative regulator of Wnt signaling.These data provide new insight into the manifold effects ofon promoting mucosal homeostasis in IBD by affecting pathogen biofilm formation and favoring the regeneration of the intestinal barrier through the regulation of the crosstalk between epithelial and stro...
05:23
Pomegranate peel extract protects against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Front Pharmacol. 2023 ;14:1166653. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 37056985 Abstract Title: Pomegranate peel extract protects against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats by inhibiting pyroptosis and downregulating LncRNA-MALAT1. Abstract: Pyroptosis is an inflammatory programmed cell death accompanied by activation of inflammasomes and maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1(IL-1) and IL-18. Pyroptosis is closely linked to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). Pomegranate peel extract (PPE) exhibits a cardioprotective effect due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the protective effect of PPE on the myocardium in a rat model of DC and determine the underlying molecular mechanism.Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The rats in the treated groups received (150 mg/kg) PPE orally and daily for 8 weeks. The effects on the survival rate, lipid profile, serum cardiac troponin-1, lipid peroxidation, and tissue fibrosis were assessed. Additionally, the expression of pyroptosis-related genes (NLRP3 and caspase-1) and lncRNA-MALAT1 in the heart tissue was determined. The PPE was analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS and NMR for characterizing the phytochemical content.Prophylactic treatment with PPE significantly ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy in the diabetic rats and increased the survival rate. Moreover, prophylactic treatment with PPE in the diabetic rats significantly improved the lipid profile, decreased serum cardiac troponin-1, and decreased lipid peroxidation in the myocardial tissue. Histopathological examination of the cardiac tissues showed a marked reduction in fibrosis (decrease in collagen volume and number of TGF--positive cells) and preservation of normal myocardial structures in the diabetic rats treated with PPE. There was a significant decrease in the expression of pyroptosis-related genes (NLRP3 and caspase-1) and lncRNA-MALAT1 in the heart tissue of the diabetic rats treated with PPE. In addition, the concentration of IL-1and caspase-1 significantly decreased in the heart tissue of the same group. The protective effect of PPE on diabetic cardiomyopathy could be due to the inhibition of pyroptosis and downregulation of lncRNA-MALAT1. The phytochemical analysis of the PPE indicated that the major compounds were hexahydroxydiphenic acid glucoside, caffeoylquinic acid, gluconic acid, citric acid, gallic acid, and punicalagin.PPE exhibited a cardioprotective potential in diabetic rats due to its unique antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties and its ability to improve the lipid profile. The protective effect of PPE on DC could be due to the inhibition of the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1signaling pathway...
05:11
Citrus essential oils: A rational view on its chemical profiles, mode of action of anticancer effects. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Cell Biochem Biophys. 2023 Jun ;81(2):189-203. Epub 2023 Apr 22. PMID: 37086387 Abstract Title: Citrus Essential Oils: A Rational View on its Chemical Profiles, Mode of Action of Anticancer Effects/Antiproliferative Activity on Various Human Cancer Cell Lines. Abstract: Cancer is a complex genetic disorder due to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body, causes damage to the immune system, and may lead to life-threatening situations. Common approaches to cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy etc. Development of novel and natural chemotherapeutic agents is highly demanded because of the side effects of synthetic drugs. Essential oils from aromatic plants exhibited antioxidant, antimutagenic, antiproliferative and immunomodulating activities. Mechanism of multidrug resistance and synergistic action of these volatile constituents are responsible for their chemopreventive properties. These oils primarily comprising of terpenoid constituents and are characterized by volatility, aroma, low molecular weight etc. The chemical composition of these oils varies depending on the environmental condition, species, plant part and geographical region. Literature analysis revealed that plant essential oils play an important role in cancer prevention and treatment. Cancer patients exposed to essential oils via inhaler devices were found to have less anxiety, stress, and nausea and insomnia. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for investigating the biological properties of aromatic plants due to their availability, chemical diversity, and low toxicity. In aromatherapy, Citrus essential oils repress cancer related pain and enhance immune system. Current review summarizes existing variability of the chemical composition of Citrus essential oils and its molecular level anticancer mechanism against various human cancer cell lines. Citrus essential oils enhance cytotoxicity, antiproliferative and apoptotic behavior of cancer cell lines. Since essential oils exhibiting significant anticancer potential is worthy of further investigation for cancer chemoprevention. The findings of various research activities can be exploited by cancer researchers world wide for the development of anticancer drugs which can relieve cancer symptoms.
04:08
The effect of ylang oil and lemon oil inhalation on labor pain and anxiety pregnant women. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2023 Mar 24 ;52:101748. Epub 2023 Mar 24. PMID: 37054616 Abstract Title: The effect of ylang oil and lemon oil inhalation on labor pain and anxiety pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial. Abstract: BACKGROUND: and purpose: To date, there has been very limited experimental research on the impact of ylang ylang oil and lemon oil inhalation labor pain. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aromatherapy, one of the non-pharmacological pain methods, on anxiety and labor pain in the active phase in primiparous pregnant women.METHODS: A randomized controlled trial design was used in the study, which was conducted with 45 primiparous pregnant women. Volunteers were randomized into the lemon oil group (n = 15), ylang-ylang oil group (n = 15), and control group (n = 15) by using the sealed envelope method. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the state anxiety inventory were applied to the intervention and control groups before the application. After the application, the VAS and the state anxiety inventory were applied at 5-7 cm dilatation and the VAS was applied alone at 8-10 cm dilatation. The trait anxiety inventory was applied to the volunteers after delivery.RESULTS: The mean pain scores at 5-7 cm dilatation in the intervention groups (lemon oil 6.90, ylang ylang oil, 7.30) were significantly lower than in the control group (9.20) (p = 0.005). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of their mean pre-intervention and 5-7-cm-dilatation anxiety scores (p = 0.750; p = 0.663), mean trait anxiety scores (p = 0.094), and mean first-and fifth-minute Apgar scores (p = 0.051; p = 0.051).CONCLUSION: It was found that aromatherapy applied by inhalation at labor reduced the perception of labor pain but had no effect on anxiety.
03:59
Effect of chamomile on the complications of cancer. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Integr Cancer Ther. 2023 ;22:15347354231164600. PMID: 37052390 Abstract Title: Effect of Chamomile on the Complications of Cancer: A Systematic Review. Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, many people across the world still suffer from this chronic disease and its complications. Chamomile as an herbal medicine has gained an increasing attention for relieving cancer complications. This study aimed to integrate and synthesize current international evidence regarding the effect of chamomile on cancer complications.METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken. Five online databases including Web of Science, PubMed [including MEDLINE], Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase were searched and articles published from inception to January 2023 were retrieved. All clinical trials and similar interventional studies on human subjects examining the effects of chamomile on cancer complications were included in the review and research synthesis. Relevant data were extracted from eligible studies after quality appraisals using proper methodological tools. The review results were presented narratively given that meta-analysis was impossible.RESULTS: A total of 2240 studies were retrieved during the search process, but 18 articles were selected. The total sample size was 1099 patients with cancer of which 622 participants were female. Fifteen studies used an RCT design. Various forms of chamomile were used such as mouthwash, topical material, tea, capsule, syrup and aromatherapy massage. Chamomile effectively reduced oral mucositis, skin complications, depression, and vomiting and also improved appetite and quality of life among cancer patients.CONCLUSION: The use of chamomile as a non-pharmacologic and safe method can be helpful for mitigating cancer complications in patients with cancer. Therefore, it can be incorporated into routine care along with other therapeutic measures to reduce patients' suffering related to cancer.SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER (PROSPERO): CRD42022307887.
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20:02
Psychiatry Killed Tuva Andersson, Whose Problem Was Anxiety Mad In America
Tuva Andersson was 37 years old when she committed suicide in 2019 in her apartment where she lived alone in Sweden. Her mother, Karina Hjelm, wanted me to tell her story hoping it might prevent other tragic and unnecessary deaths. She also needed an expert report to be used for her complaint to the prosecutor about serious medical malpractice. This summary is based on my 60-page report.
Tuva suffered from anxiety. This should have been handled by psychosocial interventions. Instead, she was exposed to professional incompetence, gross medical negligence, malpractice, stigmatisation by a variety of fluffy, ever changing, and unspecific diagnoses, and polypharmacy which included forced treatment with a depot neuroleptic that made it impossible for her to withdraw from it.
During the last year of Tuvas life, her psychiatrists took away her hope of ever leaving psychiatry and becoming better. This is the worst thing a psychiatrist can do to a patient, as it increases the suicide risk dramatically.
Tuva ended up being at very high risk of suicide. She had nothing to live for, and yet the psychiatrists only concern was to continue to write prescriptions for drugs that harmed her. When she had difficulty concentrating and focussing or had other issues, the psychiatrists consistently ascribed this to her psychiatric illness, not to their drugs, in contrast to some alert nurses.
Tuva would likely not have died if the psychiatrists had not ignored her observations, wishes, and crucial questions. She so much wanted to come off her drugs, and she did not get the psychotherapy she requested repeatedly, which would likely have saved her life.
The gruesome story of Tuva Andersson
Tuva was artistic and played music and painted. Such people are often sensitive, and Tuva had some social difficulties.
20:00
Weekend reads: NIH defunds Colombian monkey facility; Carlo Croce loses another court battle; peer review is porous Retraction Watch
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The week at Retraction Watch featured:
- Former UPenn prof faked more than 50 figures, says government watchdog
- Scientist sues publisher to block expression of concern
- Editors of public health journal resign over differences with publisher
- Publisher blacklists authors after preprint cites made-up studies.
Our list of retracted or withdrawn COVID-19 papers is up to more than 300. There are now 41,000 retractions in our database which powers retraction alerts in EndNote, LibKey, Papers, and Zotero. The Retraction...
12:20
Effect of aromatherapy on quality of life in maintenance hemodialysis patients. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Ren Fail. 2023 Dec ;45(1):2164202. PMID: 36908215 Abstract Title: Effect of aromatherapy on quality of life in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract: Aromatherapy has been used for patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), but the outcomes are still controversial. Thus, we conducted this study to systematically evaluate the effect of aromatherapy on the quality of life of patients on MHD.We searched the PubMed, Embays, Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the use of aromatherapy in dialysis patients and reported at least one outcome of interest.Twenty-two relevant studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that aromatherapy significantly increased subjective sleep quality (a lower score indicates better sleep quality) [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -1.52, 95% CI (-2.38, -0.67),
12:16
Effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among adult patients admitted into intensive care units. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2023 Jun ;76:103396. Epub 2023 Feb 2. PMID: 36738535 Abstract Title: Effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among adult patients admitted into intensive care units: A systematic review. Abstract: PURPOSE: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search for published and unpublished studies across nine databases and sources were conducted. Randomised Controlled Trials and Controlled Clinical Trials, which assessed the effectiveness of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality among intensive care unit patients, were included in this review. Only studies that used aromatherapy as a single intervention were included. Narrative synthesis was conducted across all outcomes due to high heterogeneity across studies.RESULTS: A total of 26 studies involving 2176 participants across six countries were included in this review. Most studies had an overall high risk of bias. Publication bias was detected in the studies. Findings have shown that aromatherapy may be effective in reducing anxiety based on the low GRADE certainty of evidence, and improving sleep quality based on the very low GRADE certainty of evidence. Inconsistencies in findings were also observed.CONCLUSION: Aromatherapy might be beneficial on anxiety and sleep quality among intensive care unit patients, however, the level of evidence is very low, based on the low quality of studies. Considerations can be made to incorporate aromatherapy into existing interventions that improve anxiety and sleep quality in the intensive care unit. Due to inconsistencies in findings, further research can be done to investigate and strengthen these evidence.IMPLICATION FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: This review has demonstrated that aromatherapy may have benefits on anxiety and sleep quality. Despite uncertain evidence, aromatherapy may still be considered as a complementary or alternative option to improve anxiety and sleep quality among intensive care patients as it is relatively safe, cost-effective and easy to implement (Buckle, 2014). However, proper training by a professional clinical aromatherapist is needed to ensure there is screening of patients for suitability, proper technique for administering aromatherapy, safe handling of essential oils and monitoring for adverse events (Farrar&Farrar, 2020).
12:11
Implementation of aromatherapy, a nonpharmacological intervention, to reduce anxiety during the preoperative period. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Perianesth Nurs. 2023 Apr ;38(2):206-212. Epub 2023 Feb 1. PMID: 36732122 Abstract Title: Implementation of Aromatherapy, a Nonpharmacological Intervention, to Reduce Anxiety During the Preoperative Period. Abstract: PURPOSE: The purpose of the project was to answer the following question: Does the implementation of aromatherapy before surgery reduce preoperative anxiety in adult surgical patients undergoing elective surgery?DESIGN: This evidence-based project was a quality improvement initiative that used pre- and poststate anxiety evaluations to determine the effect of aromatherapy on preoperative anxiety among adults undergoing elective surgery.METHODS: The project team conducted a literature review to evaluate the appropriateness of using aromatherapy to decrease preoperative anxiety. The team delivered pre- and postaromatherapy State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAIAD) Short form Y-1 questionnaire and administered an aromatherapy diffuser clip comprised of three evidence-based scented oils to determine the effect of aromatherapy on preoperative anxiety among adults undergoing elective surgery.FINDINGS: Pre- and postaromatherapy (STAIAD) Short Form Y-1 questionnaires indicated that exposure to aromatherapy significantly reduced preoperative anxiety. There was a statistically and clinically significant difference in state anxiety score after aromatherapy exposure, with a mean state change of 17.42 points (P
12:06
Aromatherapy with inhalation can help relieve test anxiety in college students. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Front Psychol. 2022 ;13:1042553. Epub 2023 Jan 6. PMID: 36687893 Abstract Title: Aromatherapy with inhalation effectively alleviates the test anxiety of college students: A meta-analysis. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Test anxiety is one of the common psychological and behavioral problems of college students, which can result in poor academic performance and even academic failure. Aromatherapy has been proposed as a promising method to reduce test anxiety in college students, but its precise efficacy has not been fully confirmed. This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of aromatherapy on the symptoms of test anxiety in college students to serve as a reference for future research and provide more scientific and exact evidence.METHODS: PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Science Direct, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Journal Full-Text Database (VIP), and Wanfang Data were electronically searched from inception to June 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on aromatherapy for treating students' test anxiety. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for RCTs was used by two reviewers to critically and independently assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Review Manager 5.4 was used for the meta-analysis. Stata 17.0 was used for sensitivity analysis and Egger's test.RESULTS: Seven RCTs included 425 patients, with a moderate risk of bias in the included studies. The meta-analysis found that aromatherapy effectively reduced test anxiety in college students (SMD = -0.67,
11:44
Effects of aromatherapy with Rosa damascene and lavender on pain and anxiety of burn patients. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Int Wound J. 2023 Jan 18. Epub 2023 Jan 18. PMID: 36651329 Abstract Title: Effects of aromatherapy with Rosa damascene and lavender on pain and anxiety of burn patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract: Pain and anxiety were considered the most common complications of treatment procedures in burn patients. Non-pharmacological drugs, including aromatherapy, can decrease these issues. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarise the effects of aromatherapy with Rosa damascene (RD) and lavender on the pain and anxiety of burn patients. A systematic search was performed on international electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, as well as on Iranian electronic databases such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database (SID) with keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "Burns", "Pain", "Pain management", "Anxiety", and "Aromatherapy" were performed from the earliest to November 1, 2022. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist assessed the quality of randomised control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies. STATA v.14 software was used to estimate pooled effect size. Heterogeneity was assessed with Ivalue. Random effect model and inverse-variance method using sample size, mean, and standard deviation changes were applied to determine standard mean differences (SMD). The confidence interval of 95% was considered to determine the confidence level. A total of 586 burn patients participated in six studies, including three RCT studies and three quasi-experimental studies. The results based on RCT studies showed RD significantly decreased the dressing pain average when compared to the control group (SMD: -1.61, 95%CI: -2.32 to -0.99, Z = 5.09, I: 66.2%, P
11:41
Effect of Rosa damascena extract in a model Alzheimer's disease. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2023 ;2023:4926151. Epub 2023 Apr 10. PMID: 37078068 Abstract Title: Effect ofExtract on Rat Model Alzheimer's Disease: A Histopathological, Behavioral, Enzyme Activities, and Oxidative Stress Study. Abstract: The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of aquaticextract against the oxidative damage induced by aluminum chloride intoxication in Alzheimer's model of Wister rats. Rats were divided randomly into seven groups (=10). Control group received no treatment, sham group received distilled water orally, aluminum group (AL) was administered AlCl(100mg/kg) orally, extract 1 and 2 groups were treated with only aqueousextract (DRE) (500 and 1000mg/kg), and treatment 1 and 2 groups received aqueousextract (500 and 1000mg/kg) and AlCl(100mg/kg) orally. The brain tissues were sampled for histopathological examination, and biochemical analysis was conducted for estimating the enzyme activities of acetylcholinesterase and catalase (CAT), the levels of GSH and MDA, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. According to the results of behavioral tests, AL administration showed a reduction in spatial memory and remarkably increased the time needed for reaching the invisible platform. The administration of Al-induced oxidative stress and an increase of the enzyme activity of AChE. Al administration increased AChE level from 1.1760.173 to 3.620.348, which was a significant rise. However, treating with the extract at the dose of 1000mg/kg downregulated it to 1.560.303. Administration of theextract caused an increased level of catalase and glutathione levels in treatment groups, attenuated MDA level, and regulated AChE activity. Our results illustrate that administration ofextract has a protective effect against the oxidative damage induced by AlClintoxication in Alzheimer's model.
11:25
Rosa gallica and its active compound, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, improve skin hydration. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Biofactors. 2023 Mar ;49(2):415-427. Epub 2022 Dec 27. PMID: 36573713 Abstract Title: Rosa gallica and its active compound, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, improve skin hydration via the GLK signaling pathway. Abstract: Rosa gallica has been previously reported to display anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-skin wrinkle activities. However, the effect of Rosa gallica on skin hydration and its active components are largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to investigate the skin hydration effect of rose petal extract (RPE) in humans and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. A double-blinded clinical study was performed to investigate the effect of RPE on skin hydration. Stratum corneum moisture analysis demonstrated that RPE treatment significantly improved hydration levels in human skin. Furthermore, HAS2 and hyaluronic acid levels were notably increased by RPE in keratinocytes and 3D human skin equivalent model. By comparing the modulatory effect on HAS2 expression, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside (CDG) was identified as the most potent compound in RPE likely responsible for skin hydration. The kinase activity of GLK, an upstream regulator of MAPK signaling, was increased by CDG in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, silencing GLK reversed CDG-mediated HAS2 upregulation, further supporting the involvement of GLK in the CDG-mediated effects. Binding of CDG to GLK was confirmed by pull-down assay and computer modeling. These findings suggest that RPE and its active component CDG increases skin hydration by upregulating HAS2 expression through modulating the GLK-MAP2K-MAPK signaling pathway.
11:24
Rosa canina L. improves learning and memory-associated cognitive impairment. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Ethnopharmacol. 2023 Sep 15 ;313:116541. Epub 2023 Apr 23. PMID: 37088237 Abstract Title: Rosa canina L. improves learning and memory-associated cognitive impairment by regulating glucose levels and reducing hippocampal insulin resistance in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Abstract: ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Recent studies claim that Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) overlap in several common pathological pathways which from neuronal damage to impaired memory performance. It is known that the use of Rosa canina L. (R. canina) as medicine in folk medicine dates back to ancient times and is used in the treatment of nervous diseases in Persian medicine. However, the effect of R. canina on diabetes-related cognitive decline and memory impairment has not yet been studied.AIM OF THE STUDY: We evaluated the impact of T2DM on AD-like alterations and examined the molecular mechanism of a possible effect of R. canina on cognitive alterations in diabetic rats.MATERIALS&METHODS: R. canina ethanol extract was obtained by maceration method. This study was performed with male Sprague-Dawley rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks, low-dose streptozotocin (STZ; 35 mg/kg IP) injection for 4 weeks, and R. canina (250 mg/kg; per oral) and metformin (400 mg/kg; per oral) administration for 4 weeks. The weight and blood glucose of rats were measured weekly. To evaluate glucose tolerance area under the curve (AUC) was calculated by performing an oral glucose tolerance test. Then the rats were subjected to behavioural tests, and their hippocampus and cortex tissues were obtained for biochemical and morphological analyses.RESULTS: R. canina could manage glucose responsiveness by reducing post-prandial blood glucose levels, preventing weight loss, and raising serum insulin levels in T2DM-induced rats. Behavioural tests showed that R. canina significantly improves diabetes-related cognitive decline in recall and long-term memory. Treatment with R. canina significantly reversed HFD/STZ-induced increases in insulin, amyloid-, amyloid precursor protein levels, and acetylcholinesterase activity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, histological analyzes revealed the protection of R. canina against neuronal disruption in the cortical and hippocampal CA3 region caused by chronic hyperglycemia.CONCLUSION: Analyzed collectively, these results suggest that R. canina can correct T2DM-related cognitive decline may be attributed to insulin pathway modulation, prevention of amyloid deposition, and increased cholinergic transmission.
11:19
Protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa canina L. fruit on cyclophosphamide-induced testicular toxicity. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Avicenna J Phytomed. 2023 ;13(1):7-17. PMID: 36698735 Abstract Title: Protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract ofL. fruit on cyclophosphamide-induced testicular toxicity in mice. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced testicular toxicity has been reported in recipient patients. The current study was designed to evaluate protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract ofL. fruit (HARF) against CP-induced testicular toxicity in BALB/c mice.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five mice were divided into five groups as follows: group I (control), group II (CP, received CP 100 mg/kg on days 1, 8, 15, and 22), group III (CP + HARF 250 mg/kg), group IV (CP + HARF 500 mg/kg), and group V (CP + HARF 750 mg/kg). In the groups III, IV, and V that received CP, the HARF was simultaneously administered via intraperitoneal injections for 28 consecutive days starting from day 1. On the 29day, sperm parameters, stress oxidative biomarkers, and mRNA expression ofin testis tissue, as well as blood testosterone were evaluated.RESULTS: The CP exposure decreased sperm parameters, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, testosterone, andmRNA expression levels and increased the malondialdehyde (MDA). HARF at the dose of 500 mg/kg improved sperm count and viability and increased SOD and catalase activities, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, testosterone level, andexpression and reduced MDA. Also, HARF at the dose of 750 mg/kg improved sperm parameters and increased SOD, catalase, and GPx activities, total testosterone level, andexpression, and reduced MDA in comparison with the CP group.CONCLUSION: According to our findings, HARF at the doses of 500 and 750 mg/kg inhibited the ruinous effects of CP on the reproductive system in mice.
11:16
Pingyin rose essential oil restores intestinal barrier integrity in DSS-induced colitis. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Food Res Int. 2023 Feb ;164:112362. Epub 2022 Dec 28. PMID: 36737950 Abstract Title: Pingyin Rose Essential Oil Restores Intestinal Barrier Integrity in DSS-induced Mice Colitis Model. Abstract: Rosa rugosa cv. Plena is a 'drug homologous food' in China with a long history. Pingyin rose essential oil (PREO) is a mixture of compounds extracted from blooming R. rugosa cv. Plena. With its elegant smell and excellent effects on oxidative stress and inflammation alleviation, PREO is wildly used in the food industry as a popular additive. We aimed to decipher if the PREO could alleviate and restore dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced barrier integrity damages. The results showed that a 7-day PREO (15 L/kg) treatment alleviated the colitis symptoms by improving disease activity index (DAI) scores through weight loss, occult blood, and colon shortening. The expression of tight junction proteins and the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutases (SOD), and catalase (CAT) increased while nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) production decreased in PREO-treated C57BL6 female mice. PREO treatment inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF-), interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6. Further, PREO modulated the composition of the gut microbiota and Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a positive effect. The transcriptome analysis and western blot results indicated that PREO might ameliorate intestinal barrier dysfunction in this study via the TLR4-NF-kB signaling pathway. We hypothesized that PREO has preventive potential against gut disorders and could serve as a functional food additive.
11:13
Ethanol extract of Rosa laevigata fruit inhibits inflammatory responses. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Molecules. 2023 Mar 20 ;28(6). Epub 2023 Mar 20. PMID: 36985786 Abstract Title: Ethanol Extract of. Fruit Inhibits Inflammatory Responses through NF-B/MAPK Signaling Pathways via AMPK Activation in RAW 264.7 Macrophages. Abstract: The fruit of. (FR), a traditional Chinese herb utilized for the treatment of a variety diseases, has notably diverse pharmacological activities including hepatoprotective, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Despite ongoing research on illustrating the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of FR, the principal mechanism remained inadequately understood. In this study, we investigated in depth the molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory actions of the ethanol extract of FR (EFR) and its potential targets using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro. We showed that EFR effectively ameliorated the overproduction of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, as well as the expression of related genes. It was further demonstrated that LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with EFR, accompanied by a concomitant decrease in the nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-B and activator protein 1 (AP-1). In addition, EFR pretreatment potently prevented LPS-induced decreased phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Our data also revealed that the activation of AMPK and subsequent inhibition of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was probably responsible for the inhibitory effect of EFR on LPS-induced inflammatory responses, evidenced by reverse changes observed under the condition of AMPK inactivation following co-treatment with the AMPK-specific inhibitor Compound C. Finally, the main components with an anti-inflammatory effect in EFR were identified as madecassic acid, ellagic acid, quinic acid, and procyanidin C1 by LC-MS and testified based on the inhibition of NO production and inflammatory mediator expression. Taken together, our results indicated that EFR was able to ameliorate inflammatory responses via the suppression of MAPKs/NF-B signaling pathways following AMPK activation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of EFR for inflammatory diseases.
11:07
Music therapy and aromatherapy on dental anxiety and fear. GreenMedInfo
PMID: J Dent Sci. 2023 Jan ;18(1):203-210. Epub 2022 Jun 30. PMID: 36643242 Abstract Title: Music therapy and aromatherapy on dental anxiety and fear: A randomized controlled trial. Abstract: BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Dental anxiety and fear in children are major public health concerns. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of music therapy combined with aromatherapy, in reducing the children's dental anxiety and fear.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 128 school-age children aged 10-12 years were randomly allocated into 4 groups: a control group with 32 volunteers, an experimental group that received music therapy, with 33 volunteers, an aromatherapy experimental group with 31 volunteers, and 32 volunteers in an experimental group with music therapy combined with aromatherapy.RESULTS: The results found that within-group comparisons before and after the experiment revealed the outcomes with a statistically significant change at the 0.05 level of each group as follows. The control group had increased heart rate. The music therapy group showed decreased dental anxiety and fear and systolic blood pressure. The aromatherapy experimental group exhibited increased oxygen saturation. The experimental group receiving music therapy combined with aromatherapy showed decreased dental anxiety and fear, heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as increased oxygen saturation values. In addition, it was found that music therapy combined with aromatherapy had a co-influence on dental anxiety and fear (F = 22.22,
10:45
Effect of music therapy on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in gastrointestinal cancer. GreenMedInfo
PMID: World J Gastrointest Surg. 2023 Mar 27 ;15(3):471-479. PMID: 37032801 Abstract Title: Effect of music therapy on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in gastrointestinal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, but it has many adverse reactions, particularly nausea and vomiting. Music therapy can reduce anxiety symptoms, avoid the response to the human body under various stress conditions through psychological adjustment, and improve the adverse reactions of chemotherapy.AIM: To investigate the impact of music therapy on relieving gastrointestinal adverse reactions in chemotherapy for patients with digestive tract cancer by meta-analysis.METHODS: EMBASE, PubMed, OVID, WoS, CNKI, CBM, and VIP database were all used for searching relevant literature, and the efficacy after treatment was combined for analysis and evaluation.RESULTS: This study included seven articles. The results of meta-analysis indicated that music therapy could reduce the nausea symptom score of patients after chemotherapy [mean difference (MD) = -3.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): -4.62 to -1.68,= -4.20,
10:15
Adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension. GreenMedInfo
PMID: BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023 Apr 6 ;23(1):110. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37024863 Abstract Title: Adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Abstract: BACKGROUND: High blood pressure, anxiety, depression and sleep disorder is very common in patients with hypertension. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of adjuvant music therapy for patients with hypertension, to provide insights to the clinical management of hypertension.METHODS: Two authors searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of music therapy in hypertension up to Oct 15, 2022. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.RESULTS: A total of 20 RCTs including 2306 patients were finally included. 1154 patients received music therapy. Meta-analysis showed that music therapy can effectively reduce the systolic blood pressure(MD=-9.00, 95%CI: -11.99~- 6.00), diastolic blood pressure(MD = -6.53, 95%CI: -9.12~- 3.93), heart rate (MD = -3.76, 95%CI: -7.32~- 0.20), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score(MD =-8.55, 95%CI: -12.04~-4.12), self-rating depression scale (SDS) score(MD = -9.17, 95%CI: -13.85~-5.18), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), score(MD = -3.37, 95%CI: -5.38~- 1.36), PSQI score(MD =-1.61, 95%CI:-2.30~- 0.93) compared with routine therapy in patients with hypertension(all P0.05).CONCLUSION: Music therapy can effectively control blood pressure and heart rate, reduce anxiety and depression levels, and improve sleep quality in hypertensive patients. Limited by the quantity and quality of included studies, the above conclusions need to be verified by more high-quality studies.
10:02
Music therapy: A noninvasive treatment to reduce anxiety and pain of colorectal cancer patients. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Mar 1 ;59(3). Epub 2023 Mar 1. PMID: 36984483 Abstract Title: Music Therapy: A Noninvasive Treatment to Reduce Anxiety and Pain of Colorectal Cancer Patients-A Systemic Literature Review. Abstract: Music interventions have been used for patients with cancer to meet their psychological, physical, social, and spiritual needs. This review identified the efficacy of music therapy among adult patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).We searched the PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases. Only randomized controlled studies reported in English of patients with CRC were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on patients and intervention measurements. The main outcomes included pain, anxiety, quality of life, mood, nausea, vomiting, vital signs.A total of 147 articles were identified from the search. A total of 10 studies were included in the review. Nine out of the ten studies (90%) showed statistically and clinically significant improvements across the outcome variables. Only one study (10%) found no significant positive effect from music therapy in any of the measured outcomes. Among the seven studies measuring pain as an outcome, four studies (57%) demonstrated that music therapy reduced pain. Three studies (75%) showed that MT reduced anxiety.This systemic review indicates that music therapy might help reduce pain and anxiety for cancer patients, including those with colorectal cancer, who are receiving treatment in palliative care, inpatient care and outpatient care settings.
10:00
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Interviewed by Bill Maher Articles
June 26, 2023, Bill Maher, host of the Club Random Podcast, interviewed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 2024 presidential candidate for the Democratic Party (video above).
They discussed the Kennedy familys political history, legacy medias fierce opposition to his bid for the presidency, ideological changes within the Democratic Party, the tragic assassination of his father mere minutes after winning Californias Democratic Primary in 1968,1 and why the claim that vaccines are safe and effective is false.
Regulatory Capture Is a Threat to Public Health
Kennedy highlights the link between regulatory capture by Big Pharma and the lack of vaccine safety studies. He points out that in his career as an environmental lawyer, he spent a great deal of time suing the Environmental Protection Agency over its approval of toxic chemicals, so he was well aware of the kinds of conflicts of interest present.
Thus, when he was dragged into the vaccine safety issue, the realization that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were also compromised by industry came as no great surprise. As he told me when I interviewed him back in March 2023:
I've been an environmental attorney and advocate for 40 years, and I saw the impact of agency capture. That's why I was able to recognize it so easily when I saw it in the pharmaceutical industry. All these agencies are captured. The pharmaceutical industry owns the National Institutes of Health ... CDC, FDA. The coal and oil industry and the pesticide industry own the EPA.
Kennedy also points out the importance of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) of 1986, which granted vaccine makers immunity from liability when children were injured by their vaccines.
This law was passed because vaccine makers admitted vaccines were unavoidably unsafe, and they could not afford to make vaccines if people were allowed to sue them for damages. So, the government created a federal vaccine court to adjudicate these cases and pay out damages.
Importantly, vaccine makers were given blanket immunity no matter how grievous the injury, no matter ho...
Why Do Vaccines Keep Failing to Live Up to Their Promises? Articles
In October 2019, my relatives decided to go on a trip to China in December, and for reasons I can't explain, I began to have a strong feeling something terrible was going to happen there. When they got back shortly before Christmas, however, nothing had happened. I wasn't sure what to make of it until a coworker who spent a lot of time on anonymous message boards asked if they'd gotten "that virus in China."
I looked it up and quickly realized something concerning was happening in China. However, rather than it being mentioned in the media (which always sensationalizes every infectious disease), its (real) danger was being censored, and both the media and the Democrat party were actively attacking anyone who suggested it could be a problem.
At the end of 2019, I had a flash of everything that would happen over the next three years, and my experience since then has been the surreal experience of watching that nightmare manifest into reality and despite my best efforts being powerless to stop it. The best analogy I found for the experience was being a grain of sand near the seashore that was powerless against the ocean's waves that were moving me all over the place.
Similarly, when the much-heralded NEJM study on Pfizer's vaccine came out, after spending thirty minutes going through the study, I saw exactly what was going to happen with the vaccine over the next few years.
I told many of my colleagues, almost all of whom despite the correct but highly unorthodox predictions about the course of the pandemic I'd already provided over the last year thought I was crazy or did not understand vaccinology and did not listen to me. Many have since apologized to me because my predictions (which were heretical then) subsequently came true, and much of the collective hypnosis around the vaccines has broken.
The reason I was able to make these predictions had nothing to do with me being a clairvoyant; rather, they were a result of me using already established principles or precedents and taking them to their logical conclusion. In turn, a lot of my work over the last year and a half has been to try to bring awareness to those principles so the disaster we witnessed over the past three years (and others that preceded it) cannot continue to repeat.
The Lead-up to COVID-19
In 2015, a coordinated campaign kicked off to mandate vaccines across America, initially justified by a small measles outbreak that occurred in California at the end of 2014. No one died, but the media started a hysterical campaign about it, and before long SB277, a bill mandating vaccines in California, was proposed.
It provoked mass political p...
GM Children: Film Unveils 'Monstrous' Child Deformities Articles
Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published August 25, 2018.
The shocking film "Genetically Modified Children" unveils the horrors of decades of chemical-intensive agricultural practices in Argentina, where the majority of crops are genetically modified (GM) and routinely doused in dangerous agrochemicals, and the chokehold big tobacco companies such as Philip Morris and chemical and seed giants have on poverty-stricken farmers desperate to earn a living.
The film, produced by Juliette Igier and Stephanie Lebrun, shows the devastating health effects the region's agricultural sector is having on children,1 an increasing number of whom are being born with monstrous physical deformities. Some of the children's cases are so severe that, without a medical intervention, will result in death before the age of 5.
The film begins with the crew traveling from North Argentina in the Province of Misiones to the Brazilian frontier, an agricultural region that was one of the nation's first to begin growing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the mid-'90s.
Featured in the film is Ricardo Rivero, regional head of the local electricity company. He learned that the reason families cannot pay their bills is because often they are taking care of a sick or handicapped child, and receiving no assistance from the Argentinian government.
The film shows them visiting the humble home of a tobacco farmer where they meet Lucas Texeira, a 5-year-old boy with an incurable genetic skin disease. The family believes it was caused by the mother's exposure to Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller early on in her pregnancy. No one told her it was toxic, she says.
The genetic mutation that caused her son's condition left him with no pores in his skin, which means he doesn't perspire. The heat from his body stays inside, causing him severe and painful itching that leads to frequent crying spells. Mr. Texeira expresses his sadness over Lucas' condition, as well as his fears that he could have another child in the future with a similar deformity.
Agrochemicals Lead to Rise in Birth Defects, Deformities
Like many families in rural Argentina, the Texeiras have grown GM tobacco on their land for years, using a number of various agrochemicals required to produce a crop that's certifiable by Philip Morris, an American multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company (a division of Altria Company since 2003).
Philip Morris provides farmers GM burley tobacco seeds for the manufacturer of light tobacco cigarettes. Each year, Argentinian farme...
09:55
Elderberry diet improves gut-brain axis dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in a model of irritable bowel syndrome. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Metab Brain Dis. 2023 Jun ;38(5):1555-1572. Epub 2023 Mar 6. PMID: 36877342 Abstract Title: Elderberry diet improves gut-brain axis dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in the rat model of irritable bowel syndrome. Abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is related to a problem in the gut-brain axis. This experimental research aimed to shed light on the potential therapeutic application of elderberry (EB), which can work on the axis and get better the IBS symptoms. There were three groups (36 Sprague-Dawley rats) in this experiment, including control, IBS, and IBS with EB diet (IBS+EB). Making use of intracolonic instillation of 1 ml of 4% acetic acid for 30 s, IBS was induced. 7 days later, the EB extract (2%) was added to the diets of all animals for 8 weeks. Some histological, behavioral, and stereological techniques were used to detect the effects of EB on the gut and brain tissues. The findings showed that the EB diet improved locomotion and decreased anxiety-like behavior in the rat models of IBS. Moreover, the diet dropped the expression of TNF-and increased mucosal layer thickness and the number of goblet and mast cells in colon tissue samples. In the hippocampal samples, administration of EB prevented astrogliosis and astrocyte reactivity. Although hippocampal and cortical neurons decreased markedly in the IBS group, EB prevented the drop in the number of neurons. Although lots of research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of EB in IBS and its exact molecular mechanism, the result of this study showed that EB as an antioxidant and immune-modulatory agent could be a promising research target to prevent the impairment in the gut-brain axis, and could ameliorative classic IBS symptoms.
09:44
Are Teslas EV Competitors All Adopting Musks Charging Stations by Force so the Government Can Track All EVs? Medical Kidnap
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to announce today that they are adopting Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS), allowing their Electric Vehicles (EVs) to be charged at Teslas charging stations.
Mercedes joins Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar in recent days who have all announced that they are turning to the North American Charging Standard that Tesla has developed.
Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to adopt Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS). Starting in 2024 Mercedes EVs will gain access to Teslas Supercharger network in North America.
Mercedes joins Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar in turning to the North American Charging Standard. This leaves Volkswagen, BMW, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Stellantis and Tatas Jaguar Land Rover as North Americas major automakers not yet offering NACS compatibility. Several states, including Texas and Kentucky, are even mandating charging stations funded with the states cash must use NACS.
As TechCrunchs Tim De Chant wrote, NACS is quickly gaining momentum as automakers rush to offer compatibility to Teslas charging network. (Full article.)
This sudden change in the automotive industry to adopt Teslas charging standard has happened very quickly.
How did the North American electric vehicle market finally decide on a charging port?
Gradually, then suddenly, to paraphrase Ernest Hemingway.
The war isnt over yet, but with Electrify America announcing this week that it would add Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs, its close. Electrify Americas decision is particularly important because its both the largest non-Tesla, fast-charging network and because its owned by Volkswagen, a notable holdout.
The shift in momentum was particularly swift. In late 2021, when the government mandated that EV chargers be equipped with CCS to receive federal money, it seemed like Teslas NACS was living on borrowed time. The automaker already sells EVs in Europe with an EU-mandated connector thats similar to North Americas CCS, so it wasnt such a leap to imagine a similar thing happening in the U.S.
But then Tesla cut a slew of deals with competitors. The first of them breathed new life into NACS, and then subsequent deals tipped it toward becoming the de facto...
09:43
Are Teslas EV Competitors All Adopting Musks Charging Stations by Force so the Government Can Track All EVs? Vaccine Impact
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to announce today that they are adopting Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS), allowing their Electric Vehicles (EVs) to be charged at Teslas charging stations.
Mercedes joins Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar in recent days who have all announced that they are turning to the North American Charging Standard that Tesla has developed.
Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to adopt Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS). Starting in 2024 Mercedes EVs will gain access to Teslas Supercharger network in North America.
Mercedes joins Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar in turning to the North American Charging Standard. This leaves Volkswagen, BMW, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Stellantis and Tatas Jaguar Land Rover as North Americas major automakers not yet offering NACS compatibility. Several states, including Texas and Kentucky, are even mandating charging stations funded with the states cash must use NACS.
As TechCrunchs Tim De Chant wrote, NACS is quickly gaining momentum as automakers rush to offer compatibility to Teslas charging network. (Full article.)
This sudden change in the automotive industry to adopt Teslas charging standard has happened very quickly.
How did the North American electric vehicle market finally decide on a charging port?
Gradually, then suddenly, to paraphrase Ernest Hemingway.
The war isnt over yet, but with Electrify America announcing this week that it would add Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs, its close. Electrify Americas decision is particularly important because its both the largest non-Tesla, fast-charging network and because its owned by Volkswagen, a notable holdout.
The shift in momentum was particularly swift. In late 2021, when the government mandated that EV chargers be equipped with CCS to receive federal money, it seemed like Teslas NACS was living on borrowed time. The automaker already sells EVs in Europe with an EU-mandated connector thats similar to North Americas CCS, so it wasnt such a leap to imagine a similar thing happening in the U.S.
But then Tesla cut a slew of deals with competitors. The first of them breathed new life into NACS, and then subsequent deals tipped it toward becoming the de facto...
09:24
Effects of almond intake on oxidative stress parameters. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Complement Ther Med. 2023 May ;73:102935. Epub 2023 Feb 24. PMID: 36842635 Abstract Title: Effects of almond intake on oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that almonds can improve oxidative stress indices, but the results are controversial. Therefore, the goal of this research was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of all RCTs that evaluated the effect of almonds on selected oxidative stress indices.METHODS: A systematic search was conducted up to April 2022 on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We have selected the studies that investigated the effects of almonds on malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) levels in adults. Data were pooled by using the random-effects model. The risk of bias in individual studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool.RESULTS: Seven RCTs involving 424 participants were analyzed. The results indicated that almond intake led to a significant decrease in MDA levels (WMD: - 6.63 nmol/ml; 95 % CI: - 8.72 to - 4.54; P
09:10
Myricetin: a potential plant-derived anticancer bioactive compound. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 21. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37083713 Abstract Title: Myricetin: a potential plant-derived anticancer bioactive compound-an updated overview. Abstract: The globe is currently confronting a global fight against the deadliest cancer sickness. Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, surgery, and radiation therapy are among cancer treatment options. Still, these treatments can induce patient side effects, including recurrence, multidrug resistance, fever, and weakness. As a result, the scientific community is always working on natural phytochemical substances. Numerous phytochemical compounds, including taxol analogues, vinca alkaloids such as vincristine and vinblastine, and podophyllotoxin analogues, are currently undergoing testing and have shown promising results against a number of the deadliest diseases, as well as considerable advantages due to their safety and low cost. According to research, secondary plant metabolites such as myricetin, a flavonoid in berries, herbs, and walnuts, have emerged as valuable bio-agents for cancer prevention. Myricetin and its derivatives have antiinflammatory, anticancer, apoptosis-inducing, and anticarcinogenic properties and can prevent cancer cell proliferation. Multiple studies have found that myricetin has anticancer characteristics in various malignancies, including colon, breast, prostate, bladder, and pancreatic cancers. Current knowledge of the anticancer effects of myricetin reveals its promise as a potentially bioactive chemical produced from plants for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This review aimed to study the numerous bioactivities, mode of action, and modification of several cellular processes that myricetin possesses to impede the spread of cancer cells. This review also addresses the challenges and future prospects of using myricetin as a anticancer drug.
09:06
results revealed the therapeutic efficacy of myricetin in experimental Alzheimer's disease. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Phytomedicine. 2023 Jul ;115:154801. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37086707 Abstract Title: Myricetin improves pathological changes in 3Tg-AD mice by regulating the mitochondria-NLRP3 inflammasome-microglia channel by targeting P38 MAPK signaling pathway. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the common neurodegenerative disease featured by the manifestations of cognitive impairment and memory loss. AD could be alleviated with medication and improving quality of life. Clinical treatment of AD is mainly aimed at improving the cognitive function of patients. Donepezil, memantine and galantamine are commonly used drug. But they could only relieve AD, not cure it. Therefore, new treatment strategies focusing on AD pathogenesis are of great significance and value. Myricetin (Myr) is a natural flavonoid extracted from Myrica rubra. And it shows different bioactivities, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidation as well as central nervous system (CNS) activities. Nonetheless, its associated mechanism in treating AD remains unknown.PURPOSE: Here we focused on investigating Myr's effect on treating AD and exploring if its protection on the nervous system activity was associated with specifically inhibiting P38 MAPK signaling pathway while regulating mitochondria-NLRP3 inflammasome-microglia.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This work utilized triple transgenic mice (3 Tg-AD) as AD models and Awas used to induce BV2 cells to build an in vitro AD model. Behavioristics, pathology and related inflammatory factors were examined. Molecular mechanisms are investigated by western-blot, immunofluorescence staining, CETSA, molecular docking, network pharmacology.RESULTS: According to our findings, Myr could remarkably improve memory loss, spatial learning ability, Aplaque deposition, neuronal and synaptic damage in 3 Tg-AD mice through specifically inhibiting P38 MAPK pathway activation while restraining microglial hyperactivation. Furthermore, Myr promoted the transformation of microglial phenotype, restored the mitochondrial fission-fusion balance, facilitated mitochondrial biogenesis, and restrained NLRP3 inflammasome activation and neuroinflammation. For the in-vitro experiments, P38 agonist dehydrocorydaline (DHC) was utilized to confirm the key regulatory role of P38 MAPK signaling pathway on the mitochondria-NLRP3 inflammasome-microglia channel.CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed the therapeutic efficacy of Myr in experimental AD, and implied that the associated mechanism is possibly associated with inhibiting tmitochondrial dysfunction, activating NLRP3 inflammasome, and neuroinflammation which was mediated by P38 MAPK pathway. Myr is the drug candidate in AD therapy via targeting P38 MAPK pathway.
...
09:03
Quercetin protects against levetiracetam induced gonadotoxicity. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Toxicology. 2023 Jun 1 ;491:153518. Epub 2023 Apr 23. PMID: 37098359 Abstract Title: Quercetin protects against levetiracetam induced gonadotoxicity in rats. Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether quercetin may counteract the negative effects of levetiracetam on rat reproductive capabilities by examining its influence on a few reproductive parameters following levetiracetam administration. Twenty (20) experimental rats were employed, with five (n = 5) animals per treatment group. Rats in group 1 received saline (10 mL/kg, p.o.) which served as control. Quercetin (20 mg/kg, p.o./day) was given to groups 2 and 4 for 28 days starting from 29 to 56 days, respectively. However, animals in groups 3-4 received LEV (300 mg/kg) once daily for 56 days with a 30-minute break in between treatments. All rats had their serum sex hormone levels, sperm characteristics, testicular antioxidant capability, and levels of oxido-inflammatory/apoptotic mediators evaluated. Additionally, the expression of proteins associated to BTB, autophagy, stress response was examined in rat testes. LEV increased sperm morphological defects and decreased sperm motility, sperm viability, sperm count body weight and testes weight, MDA and 8OHdG levels in the testis of LEV-treated rats were elevated, while antioxidant enzyme expression was concurrently decreased. Additionally, it reduced the levels of serum gonadotropins, testosterone, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cytochrome C liberation into the cytosol from the mitochondria. Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 activity increased. While Bcl-2, Cx-43, Nrf2, HO-1, mTOR, and Atg-7 levels were lowered, NOX-1, TNF-, NF-k, IL-1, and tDFI levels increased. Histopathological scoring provided further support for the decreased spermatogenesis. In contrast to all of these gonadotoxic effects of LEV, improvements in LEV-induced gonadal damage were seen through upregulation of Nrf2/ HO-1, Cx-43/NOX-1, mTOR/Atg-7 expression and attenuation of hypogonadism, poor sperm quality, mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, and oxidative inflammation due to quercetin post-treatment. The modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, /mTOR/Atg-7 and Cx-43/NOX-1 levels and the inhibition of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and oxido-inflammation in LEV-induced gonadotoxicity in rats suggest that quercetin may hold promise as a possible therapeutic treatment.
07:46
Are Teslas EV Competitors All Adopting Musks Charging Stations by Force so the Government Can Track All EVs? Health Impact News
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to announce today that they are adopting Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS), allowing their Electric Vehicles (EVs) to be charged at Teslas charging stations.
Mercedes joins Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar in recent days who have all announced that they are turning to the North American Charging Standard that Tesla has developed.
Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to adopt Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS). Starting in 2024 Mercedes EVs will gain access to Teslas Supercharger network in North America.
Mercedes joins Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar in turning to the North American Charging Standard. This leaves Volkswagen, BMW, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Stellantis and Tatas Jaguar Land Rover as North Americas major automakers not yet offering NACS compatibility. Several states, including Texas and Kentucky, are even mandating charging stations funded with the states cash must use NACS.
As TechCrunchs Tim De Chant wrote, NACS is quickly gaining momentum as automakers rush to offer compatibility to Teslas charging network. (Full article.)
This sudden change in the automotive industry to adopt Teslas charging standard has happened very quickly.
How did the North American electric vehicle market finally decide on a charging port?
Gradually, then suddenly, to paraphrase Ernest Hemingway.
The war isnt over yet, but with Electrify America announcing this week that it would add Teslas North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs, its close. Electrify Americas decision is particularly important because its both the largest non-Tesla, fast-charging network and because its owned by Volkswagen, a notable holdout.
The shift in momentum was particularly swift. In late 2021, when the government mandated that EV chargers be equipped with CCS to receive federal money, it seemed like Teslas NACS was living on borrowed time. The automaker...
07:25
A Son Died, His Parents Tried to Sue. How U.S. Courts Protect Big Pharma Mad In America
From Reuters: Nicholas England, a healthy 22-year-old from Virginia, shot himself in the head in 2017, less than two weeks after he started taking an allergy medicine that had been linked for years to episodes of depression and suicidal thinking.
His parents soon started exploring a lawsuit against Merck, the developer of the blockbuster asthma and allergy drug, Singulair, along with the history of mental-health problems, they said.
The Englands were shocked to learn from legal advisers that they had no case. Like countless other potential plaintiffs, they had run into one of Corporate Americas most effective liability shields: the legal doctrine of preemption, the principle that federal law supersedes state law.
Armed with U.S. Supreme Court rulings on preemption starting in the 1990s, companies increasingly argue that federally regulated products or services should be immune from lawsuits alleging state-law violations. In a new reading of an old constitutional principle, judges have held that federal law, including the decisions of U.S. regulatory agencies, should preempt, or override, state statutes that seek to hold companies accountable for harming consumers.
State laws historically have provided the legal basis for some of the most common lawsuits against U.S. companies alleging injuries, deaths or illnesses caused by negligence or defective products.
These legal dynamics left the England family with no legal remedy at all. A pair of U.S. Supreme Court rulings, in 2011 and 2013, essentially barred lawsuits against generic drugmakers based on state laws that enabled claims over design defects or a failure to warn consumers of potential dangers. The courts reasoning: Such claims were preempted by federal regulations preventing generic drugmakers, when copying name-brand drugs, from changing the formulation or the warning label.
That meant Merck had written the warning label, with federal approval, on the generic couldnt sue Merck, either, because their son had never taken
The emotion of losing your child is so difficult on its own, said Jennifer England, Nicholass mother. It is very frustrating to realize thats a loophole. Im a small person in southwestern Virginia, and thats a loophole there to protect companies much bigger than we could fight.'
07:02
The potential use of honey as a neuroprotective agent for the management of neurodegenerative diseases. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Nutrients. 2023 Mar 23 ;15(7). Epub 2023 Mar 23. PMID: 37049399 Abstract Title: The Potential Use of Honey as a Neuroprotective Agent for the Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Abstract: As the global population ages, there is an increasing research on managing neurodegenerative diseases that mainly affect the elderly. Honey is one of the natural products and functional foods widely studied for its neuroprotective properties. This review investigates honey's effectiveness as a neuroprotective agent through in vitro, in vivo, and clinical research. The articles were browsed from three databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus) between the years of 2012 and 2022 using the keywords "honey" crossed with "neurodegenerative". Out of the 16 articles, six in vitro, eight in vivo, one combination study, and one clinical intervention were compiled. Among the various types of honey studied, the Tualang and Thyme honey exhibited the highest antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticholinesterase activity, leading to the prevention and management of multiple neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The neuroprotective properties of honey are primarily attributed to its high polyphenol content, with quercetin and gallic acid being the most prominent. This review compiled considerable evidence of the anti-neurodegenerative properties of honey presented by in vitro and in vivo studies. However, more clinical intervention studies are required to support these findings further.
06:49
Protective role of kelulut honey against toxicity effects of polystyrene microplastics on morphology, hormones, and sex steroid receptor expression. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Toxics. 2023 Mar 29 ;11(4). Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 37112551 Abstract Title: Protective Role of Kelulut Honey against Toxicity Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Morphology, Hormones, and Sex Steroid Receptor Expression in the Uterus of Rats. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging global pollutant. Previous studies have revealed that chronic exposure to MPs can affect animal and human reproductive health, particularly by impairing the reproductive system's normal functions, which may increase the risk of infertility in both males and females. Kelulut honey (KH), an excellent source of antioxidants, has been used to counteract the disruptive effects of Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in the rat uterus. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of Kelulut honey against PS-MPs-induced uterine toxicity in pubertal rats.METHODS: Prepubertal female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): (i) normal control group (NC: treated with deionized water), MPs-exposed group (M: exposed to PS-MPs at 2.5 mg/kg), (iii) Kelulut honey group (DM: pretreated with 1200 mg/kg of KH 30 minutes before they were administered with PS-MPs at 2.5 mg/kg), and (iv) Kelulut honey control group (DC: only treated with KH at 2.5 mg/kg). The rats were treated orally once daily for six consecutive weeks.RESULTS: Uterine abnormalities in PS-MPs-exposed rats were significantly improved after concurrent treatment with Kelulut honey. Morphology improvement was observed and luminal epithelial cells seemed thicker with more goblet cells, glandular cells had a more regular and circular shape, stromal cell increased in size, interstitial gaps between stromal cells expanded, and the myometrium layer was thicker. Kelulut honey treatment also effectively normalized the suppressive effect of PS-MPs on the expression and distribution of sex steroid receptors (ERand ER), as well as the level of serum gonadotropin (LH and FSH) and sex steroid (estradiol and progesterone) hormones.CONCLUSION: Kelulut honey can protect the female reproductive system against the disruptive effects of PS-MPs. The phytochemical properties of Kelulut honey might be responsible for these beneficial benefits. However, future studies are warranted to identify the mechanisms involved.
06:42
Combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and carbamazepine induced transgenerational effects on the reproduction of Daphnia magna. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 May ;30(25):67596-67607. Epub 2023 Apr 28. PMID: 37115439 Abstract Title: Combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and carbamazepine induced transgenerational effects on the reproduction of Daphnia magna. Abstract: Polystyrene microplastics (PS MPs) and carbamazepine (CBZ) are frequently detected in freshwater ecosystems. However, the transgenerational effects of PS MPs and CBZ on the reproduction of aquatic organisms and the corresponding mechanisms are still unclear. In the present study, Daphnia magna was used to evaluate the reproductive toxicity in two consecutive generations (F0, F1). The molting and reproduction parameters, the expression of reproduction, and the toxic metabolism genes were examined after 21-day exposure. A significantly enhanced toxicity was observed in the presence of 5 m PS MPs and CBZ. Chronic exposure results showed that the 5 m PS MPs alone, CBZ alone, and their mixtures exerted significant reproductive toxicity of D. magna. The results of RT-qPCR showed transcripts of genes related to reproduction (cyp314, ecr-b, cut, vtg1, vtg2, dmrt93b) and toxic metabolism (cyp4, gst) were altered in both the F0 and F1. In addition, for the F0, gene transcriptional changes of reproduction were not fully translated into physiological performance, probably due to the compensatory responses caused by the low dose of PS MPs alone, CBZ alone, and their mixtures. Whereas for the F1, the trade-off between reproduction and toxic metabolism at gene levels was observed, which translated into a significant reduction in the total neonate number of F1. These findings suggest that long-term exposure to MPs and CBZ can cause serious reproduction damage to aquatic animals, which needs to be given sufficient attention.
06:35
Polystyrene microplastics induce oxidative stress in mouse hepatocytes in relation to their size. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 17 ;24(8). Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37108543 Abstract Title: Polystyrene Microplastics Induce Oxidative Stress in Mouse Hepatocytes in Relation to Their Size. Abstract: Microplastics have become a new type of environmental pollutant that can accumulate in various tissues and organs of the body and cause chronic damage. In this study, two different size polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 5m and 0.5m) exposure models were established in mice to investigate the effects of PS-MPs with different particle sizes on oxidative stress in the liver. The results showed that PS-MPs exposure caused a decrease in body weight and liver-to-body weight. The hematoxylin and eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy results showed that exposure to PS-MPs led to the disorganized cellular structure of liver tissue, nuclear crinkling, and mitochondrial vacuolation. The extent of damage in the 5m PS-MP exposure group was more extensive when compared with the other group. The evaluation of oxidative-stress-related indicators showed that PS-MPs exposure exacerbated oxidative stress in hepatocytes, especially in the 5m PS-MPs group. The expression of oxidative-stress-related proteins sirtuin 3(SIRT3) and superoxide dismutase (SOD2) was significantly reduced, and the reduction was more pronounced in the 5m PS-MPs group. In conclusion, PS-MPs exposure led to oxidative stress in mouse hepatocytes and caused more severe damage in the 5m PS-MPs group when compared with the 0.5m PS-MPs group.
05:40
The ovarian-related effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human ovarian granulosa cells. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Jun 1 ;257:114941. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37087970 Abstract Title: The ovarian-related effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on human ovarian granulosa cells and female mice. Abstract: Nanoplastics (NPs) have recently emerged in the context of global plastic pollution. They may be more toxic than macroplastics litter and microplastic fragments due to its abundances, tiny sizes, and cellular accessibility. The female reproductive toxicity of NPs has been widely documented for aquatic animals, but their effects and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood in mammals. This study aimed to explore the effects of NPs on female reproduction using human ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) and female mice. The accumulation of polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs) in human granulosa-like tumor cells (KGN cells) and the ovaries of female Balb/c mice were evaluated by exposure to fluorescent PS-NPs. Proliferation and apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and Hippo signaling pathway-related factors were analyzed in KGN cells. In addition, fertility rate, litter size, ovarian weight and microstructure, follicle development, serum level of anti-Mullerian hormone, and apoptosis in ovaries were examined in female mice. Here, the PS-NPs can penetrate the KGN cells and accumulate in the ovaries. In vitro, 100 g/ml PS-NPs inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, accumulated ROS, activated three key regulators of the Hippo signaling pathway (MST1, LATS1, and YAP1), and downregulated the mRNA levels of CTGF and Cyr61 in KGN cells. Furthermore, salidroside, an antioxidative compound extracted from Rhodiola rosea, alleviated the damage of PS-NPs to KGN and inhibited the activation of the Hippo signal pathway. In vivo, exposure to 1 mg/day PS-NPs resulted in decreased fertility, abnormal ovarian function, and increased ovarian apoptosis in female mice. Overall, our data suggest that PS-NPs cause granulosa cell apoptosis and affect ovarian functions, leading to reduced fertility in female mice, by inducing oxidative stress and dysregulating the Hippo pathway.
05:36
Microplastic-contaminated antibiotics as an emerging threat to mammalian liver. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Biomater Sci. 2023 Jun 13 ;11(12):4298-4307. Epub 2023 Jun 13. PMID: 37063056 Abstract Title: Microplastic-contaminated antibiotics as an emerging threat to mammalian liver: enhanced oxidative and inflammatory damages. Abstract: Poor management and disposal of plastic materials and the accumulation of microplatics in the environment and foods are an issue of increasing public concern. The current understanding of the implications of microplastics for human health has been limited to the bioeffect of individual exposure. In the bigger view of microplastic contamination, however, toxic compounds, including antibiotics, harbored on active microplastics can be collectively transported through food chains, raising questions about the effect of their combined exposure on human health. By employing a mouse model for human physiology, we discovered that a concurrent exposure to the major types of antibiotics and microplastics, namely sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and polystyrene microplastics, respectively, would result in evident accumulation in detoxification organs; specifically, liver could amass 41.70g kgof SMZ, while 3.83% of microplastics was accumulated in the kidney. Insights into the occurrence of liver histopathological changes (, amyloidosis and necrocytosis) revealed that compared with the individual treatment of SMZ, treatment by microplastic-contaminated SMZ elicited increases in the levels of malonaldehyde and NF-by 174% and 104%, respectively; while the activities of antioxidases investigated were depressed by up to 22% upon co-exposure. It is suggested that SMZ enriched on active microplastic surfaces causes enhanced hepatic damage. Profiling of the gene expression clarified the correlation of the exacerbated oxidative and inflammatory damages in the liver with the overexpression ofto dysregulate the-pathway. This study acts as a reminder about the complexity of contamination and raises awareness of health issues that microplastics could cause public health through liver diseases.
05:33
Short term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in mice evokes self-regulation of glycolipid metabolism. GreenMedInfo
PMID: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 May ;256:114906. Epub 2023 Apr 14. PMID: 37062265 Abstract Title: Short term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in mice evokes self-regulation of glycolipid metabolism. Abstract: With the detection of nano-plastics (NPs) in daily essentials and drinking water, the potential harm of NPs to human health has become the focus of global attention. Studies have shown that long term exposure to NPs can lead to disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism in organisms, while the effects of short term exposure are rarely reported. Moreover, environmental factors cause the aging of NPs, and it is unclear whether this has an effect on their toxicity. In this study, we use 100 nm polystyrene (PS) NPs and ultraviolet (UV) aging PS (aPS) NPs to gavage mice for 7 days at an exposure dose of 50 mg/kg/day. To evaluate the effects of exposure on mice hepatic glucose lipid metabolism, we performed blood biochemical, pathological and metabolomic analyses. The results showed that exposure to PS NPs and aPS NPs increased serum glucose, disrupted serum lipoprotein levels, and up-regulated the expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ phosphoprotein kinase B (p-AKT)/Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) proteins in the glucose metabolism pathway. The expression levels of key proteins sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-(PPAR)/adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in the lipid metabolism signaling pathway were significantly increased. These findings suggest that short term exposure to PS NPs and aPS NPs induces glycolipid metabolism disturbance in mice, which may subsequently awaken the mice to self-regulate the serum levels of various lipoproteins and the expression of related key proteins. Compared with PS NPs, the aPS NPs interfered more strongly with glucose metabolism, and the corresponding self-regulation in mice was also more obvious. These findings not only provide a basis for environmental factors to increase the health risk of NPs but also provided a reference for the selection of test substances for further studies on the toxicity of NPs.
05:28
Polystyrene exacerbates cadmium-induced mitochondrial damage to lung GreenMedInfo
PMID: Environ Toxicol. 2023 Aug ;38(8):1775-1785. Epub 2023 Apr 6. PMID: 37022104 Abstract Title: Polystyrene exacerbates cadmium-induced mitochondrial damage to lung by blocking autophagy in mice. Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental heavy metal, and its accumulation is harmful to animal and human health. The cytotoxicity of Cd includes oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial histopathological changes. Furthermore, polystyrene (PS) is a kind of microplastic piece derived from biotic and abiotic weathering courses, and has toxicity in various aspects. However, the potential mechanism of action of Cd co-treated with PS is still poorly unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of PS on Cd-induced histopathological injury of mitochondria in the lung of mice. In this study, the results have showed that Cd could induce the activity of oxidative enzymes of the lung cells in mice, increasing the content of partial microelement and the phosphorylation of inflammatory factor NF-B p65. Cd further destroys the integrity of mitochondria by increasing the expression of apoptotic protein and blocking the autophagy. In addition, PS solely group aggravated the lung damage in mice, especially mitochondrial toxicity, and played a synergistic effect with Cd in lung injury. However, how PS can augment mitochondrial damage and synergism with Cd in lung of mice requiring further exploration. Therefore, PS was able to exacerbate Cd-induced mitochondrial damage to the lung in mice by blocking autophagy, and was associated with the apoptosis.
05:27
BCG vaccine showing promise for type 1 diabetes UPDATED Skeptical Raptor
The Skeptical Raptor, stalking pseudoscience in the internet jungle.
The BCG vaccine, usually used to prevent tuberculosis, will be starting a new phase 2 clinical trial to treat diabetes in children.
05:22
The Hidden Harms Within the Psychedelic Renaissance Mad In America
The following essay is my attempt to bring to light aspects of my personal experience with the School of Consciousness Medicine (SCM), and the often unspoken harm of the Psychedelic Renaissance in its current hype, culminating in the loss of a dear friend. I want to explicitly say that this is my personal experience with the death of Cody Wiggs. I hope to hear and read other accounts of love, admiration, heartbreak and appreciation of him, too.
This essay may be activating or difficult to read. It is only a brief telling of my heartbreak as a woman in SCM and the Psychedelic Renaissance. Over the last five years, as a psychotherapist, eager to learn the potency of how these entheogens and empathogens may support the healing agent of psychotherapy, I found myself shattered at the hands of unconscious transference, patriarchal agendas, and emotional abuse. I often felt like my feminine values of attunement, softness, clarity, fierce truth-telling, and relationality were thwarted or ignored entirely in the face of overtly masculine approaches to healing.
Every one of us is multifaceted. We all have shadows, light and dark parts to us. I do not claim to know the full story of any of the people I talk about in this article. As a therapist, I have made mistakes along the way in my own counseling practice and personal life, too.
I am not here wanting to condemn anyone. Instead, I want to bring voice to what is often silenced or hidden in the current American psychedelic hype. I know that if I would have read a story like this before I entered into psychedelic-assisted therapy, I would have been more careful, which might have prevented a lot of unnecessary hurt. This is what I desire for others: that they would be spared entering into power dynamics with therapists, healers, or shamans that reenact trauma, leading to further traumati...
03:09
Kennedy's Health Policy Roundtable GreenMedInfo
June 27, 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a Health Policy Roundtable featuring a panel of health freedom advocates
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02:45
Infectious diseases are a problem in every part of the world, and a common, yet deadly, example is malaria. Malaria was once a major medical issue in the Southern United States; in fact, a 1933 survey found that up to thirty percent of local populations in the Tennessee River Valley were affected. The disease was[Read More]
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