Futurity.org – How much fish oil is too much?
As with so many, too much of a good thing can be bad: In this case high doses of fish oil induces severe colitis and colon cancer in mice: Moderation in all things as the saying goes.
Human herpesvirus-6 entry into the central nervous system through the olfactory pathway.
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| Image by AJC1 via Flickr |
A Strategy for Comparing the Contributions of Environmental Chemicals and Other Risk Factors to Children's Neurodevelopment.
The contributions of methylmercury, organophosphate pesticides and lead to neurodevelopmental morbidity are substantial, exceeding those of many non-chemical risk factors.
Futurity.org – Fish oil compound stops leukemia in mice
The compound—delta-12-protaglandin J3, targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia in mice: It is derived from Eicosapentaenoic Acid—an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil.
Plant RNAs Found in Mammals | The Scientist
MicroRNAs from plants accumulate in mammalian blood and tissues, where they can regulate gene expression. ( we are not alone)
How Probiotic Yogurt Works | The Scientist
Researchers show that the bacterial species in probiotic, fermented dairy products may alter gene expression and metabolism in native gut microbiota.
McNulty et al., “The Impact of a Consortium of Fermented Milk Strains on the Gut Microbiome of Gnotobiotic Mice and Monozygotic Twins,” Science Translational Medicine, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002701, 2011.
Maternal body mass index during pregnancy influence risk of schizophrenia in the adult offspring
Maternal obesity prior to and during pregancy was associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia in the adult offspring.
Cross-reactivity of autoreactive T cells with Myelin basic Protein and viral antigens in patients with MS.
T cells recognizing myelin basic protein were cross-reactive
and could be activated by a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues
of HHV-6 or the Epstein-Barr virus
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Rare genetic mutations linked to bipolar disorder
The new findings show "convincing" evidence that rare copy number
mutations strongly contribute to the development of early onset bipolar
disorder.
Brain cell malfunction in schizophrenia identified
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered that DNA stays too tightly wound in certain brain cells of schizophrenic subjects.
PLoS Medicine: The Toxic Effects of Cigarette Additives. Philip Morris' Project Mix Reconsidered: An Analysis of Documents Released through Litigation
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Diet, nutrient levels linked to cognitive ability, brain shrinkage
New clues as to why some older people may be losing their memory
New research links silent strokes , or small spots of dead
brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss
in the elderly. The study is published in the January 3, 2012, print
issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Dietary flavonoids are neuroprotective through Nrf2-coordinated induction of endogenous cytoprotective proteins.
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and stroke and other diseases.The protective effects of flavonoids may be mediated via the transcription factor Nrf2 which coordinates the induction of endogenous cytoprotective proteins.
Integrated Microbial Genomes- Education Site
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Association between environmental exposure to pesticides and neurodegenerative diseases.
Populations living in areas with high pesticide use had an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and suicide attempts and that males living in these areas had increased risks for polyneuropathies, affective disorders and suicide attempts.
Beer and Martinis - Just as Effective as Wine for Longevity? - NYTimes.com
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Fat May Put Hypothalamus On Fritz - Yahoo! News
More than a third of adults in the U.S. are obese. And many of those already overweight continue to put on even more pounds. Now researchers have a clue why.
in the brains of both obese humans and obese rats, neurons around the hypothalamus were damaged by inflammation. High-fat diets have been known to promote inflammation throughout the body, but that usually takes weeks or months to appear. Changes in the brain, however, can happen fast—even within 24 hours.
Childhood obesity:
Mom-Daughter Depression Connected | Medical News and Health Information
Postpartum
depression affects children’s social and emotional development.
According to this study, Oxytocin, a hormone associated with love and
produced naturally in the body, can help protect children from the
negative effects of maternal depression.
New synthetic molecules treat autoimmune disease in mice
A team of Weizmann Institute scientists has turned the tables on an autoimmune disease. In such diseases, including Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. But the scientists managed to trick the immune systems of mice into targeting one of the body's players in autoimmune processes, an enzyme known as MMP9. The results of their research appear today in Nature Medicine.
Depression Pathways: KEGG analysis of depression susceptibility genes
This pathway analysis of over 200 depression susceptibility genes highlights the pathways involved in major depressive disorder.
Depression risk factors
Depression risk factors
PLoS Pathogens: CNS Recruitment of CD8+ T Lymphocytes Specific for a Peripheral Virus Infection Triggers Neuropathogenesis during Polymicrobial Challenge
PLoS Pathogens: CNS Recruitment of CD8+ T Lymphocytes Specific for a Peripheral Virus Infection Triggers Neuropathogenesis during Polymicrobial Challenge
Risk factors: Alzheimer's : Autism : Bipolar disorder : Childhood obesity: Chronic fatigue: Multiple sclerosis Parkinson's disease Schizophrenia Herpes simplex infection
Risk factors: Alzheimer's : Autism : Bipolar disorder : Childhood obesity: Chronic fatigue: Multiple sclerosis Parkinson's disease Schizophrenia Herpes simplex infection
U.S. Rolls Out Tough Rules on Coal Plant Pollution: Scientific American
The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled the first-ever standards to slash mercury emissions from coal-fired plants, a move aimed at protecting public health/The rules will save $90 billion in healthcare costs by 2016 as technology to cut emissions also reduces particulates that can damage hearts and lungs
Researcher contends multiple sclerosis is not a disease of the immune system
Dr Corthals believes that the primary cause of MS can be traced to transcription factors in cell nuclei that control the uptake, breakdown, and release of lipids (fats and similar compounds) throughout the body. Disruption of these proteins, known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), causes a toxic byproduct of "bad" cholesterol called oxidized LDL to form plaques on the affected tissue. The accumulation of plaque in turn triggers an immune response, which ultimately leads to scarring.
Immune challenges by viruses result in CNS disease in the absence of the virus in the CNS
The immune response induced in response to a peripheral viral infection can be "mis-recruited" to the brain, where these activated immune cells can then lead to inflammation-induced neuropathology and disease - without the virus infecting the brain.
Defending the genome from viral integration
Small, mobile sequences of DNA left over from viruses, called transposons or "jumping genes" because of their ability to move around the genome, pose a significant threat to the genetic integrity and stability of an organism. Considered genetic parasites, these transposable elements are believed to comprise as much as 50 percent of the human genome. Because of the damage transposons can do to an organism's DNA, an immune-like response has evolved to turn off, or silence, the transposons.
Do our medicines boost pathogens?
Scientists of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG) discovered a parasite that not only had developed resistance against a common medicine, but at the same time had become better in withstanding the human immune system. With some exaggeration: medical practice helped in developing a superbug. For it appears the battle against the drug also armed the bug better against its host. "To our knowledge it is the first time such a doubly armed organism appears in nature", says researcher Manu Vanaerschot, who obtained a PhD for his detective work at ITG and Antwerp University. "It certainly makes you think."
The Evolution of Drug Resistance | The Scientist
Using whole-genome sequencing to track the evolution of bacteria as they are exposed to ever-increasing levels of antibiotics, researchers have identified some consistent—and potentially practicable—genetic mutations, pointing to new possibilities for conquering resistant bugs
PLoS ONE: A Blood-Based Screening Tool for Alzheimer's Disease That Spans Serum and Plasma: Findings from TARC and ADNI
The 11 proteins used were : C-reactive protein, adiponectin, pancreatic polypeptide, fatty acid binding protein, interleukin 18, beta 2 microglobulin, tenascin C, T lymphocyte secreted protein I309, factor VII, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1.
Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's
Big Corn, Big Sugar in bitter US row on sweetener
Big Corn and Big Sugar are locked in a legal and public relations fight in the US over a plan to change the name of a corn-based sweetener that has a bad name.A lawsuit, which seeks an end to the ads using the term "corn sugar," states that use of the corn syrup increased over 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990 and that this rise "bears a strong temporal relationship to the growth in American obesity."
Semen Protein Boosts HIV Transmission | The Scientist
A protein found in semen makes HIV’s job of infecting immune cells easier, according to research published today in Cell Host & Microbe.These are semenogelin fragments forming amyloid fibrils that greatly enhance HIV infection.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce mortality for influenza patients
After adjusting for various factors, researchers found that patients not receiving statins were almost twice as likely to die from influenza as those who received the medication.
Alterations in the gut microbiome of children with severe ulcerative colitis
The richness, evenness, and biodiversity of the gut microbiome were remarkably reduced in children with Ulcerative colitis compared with healthy controls. Children who did not respond to steroids harbored a microbiome that was even less rich than steroid responders.
Antibody injection promising for diabetes and obesity
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at Genetech Inc. in South San Francisco, California, led by molecular biologist Junichiro Sonoda, have discovered that a single injection of antibodies (against fibroblast growth factor FGF receptors ) into obese diabetic mice provided a marked and sustained improvement in their condition and a reduction in their weight.
Fungus-induced neurological disease: An underestimated risk for animals and humans?
The mould fungus Penicillium crustosum occurs relatively frequently in food and animal fodder stored in temperate conditions. This mould produces powerful neurotoxins, for example penitrem A, which causes symptoms that are difficult to distinguish from those of other neurological diseases, including epilepsy and impaired motor function.
Researchers identify toxic phthalates in numeruous medicines and supplements
Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC), in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health, have found numerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs and supplements use certain chemicals called phthalates as inactive ingredients in their products. The findings appear on-line in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Stopping dementia in its tracks - without drugs
While there is, as yet, no medical treatment that can cure dementia, a new study has shown that it is possible to stop its progress without using drugs.
Alzheimer's drug candidate may be first to prevent disease progression
Salk scientists develop J147, a synthetic drug shown to improve memory and prevent brain damage in mice with Alzheimer's disease. Credit: Courtesy of Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The Salk team developed methods for using living neurons grown in laboratory dishes to test whether or not new synthetic compounds were effective at protecting the brain cells against several pathologies associated with brain aging.
Humans unequipped for high-salt diet, food scientist contends
Humans are physiologically unprepared for the amount of sodium found in manufactured foods in the modern food supply, contributing to the diet-related diseases observed today.
Regulated release of BDNF by cortical oligodendrocytes is mediated through metabotropic glutamate receptors and the PLC pathway.
Regulated release of BDNF by cortical oligodendrocytes is mediated through metabotropic glutamate receptors and the Phospholipase C pathway.
Unexpected signaling role for foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide in cell response to protein misfolding
hydrogen sulfide (H2S) – the flammable, highly toxic gas that smells of rotten eggs – plays an important role in the regulation of thge endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway ( the unfolded protein response ) implicated in biological malfunctions linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, among others.
BMC Pediatrics Effect of a vitamin/mineral supplement on children and adults with autism
Autism genes and risk factors
Conclusions
Oral vitamin/mineral supplementation is beneficial in improving the nutritional and metabolic status of children with autism, including improvements in methylation, glutathione, oxidative stress, sulfation, ATP, NADH, and NADPH. The supplement group had significantly greater improvements than did the placebo group on the PGI-R Average Change. This suggests that a vitamin/mineral supplement is a reasonable adjunct therapy to consider for most children and adults with autism.
Conclusions
Oral vitamin/mineral supplementation is beneficial in improving the nutritional and metabolic status of children with autism, including improvements in methylation, glutathione, oxidative stress, sulfation, ATP, NADH, and NADPH. The supplement group had significantly greater improvements than did the placebo group on the PGI-R Average Change. This suggests that a vitamin/mineral supplement is a reasonable adjunct therapy to consider for most children and adults with autism.
Association of lifestyle and environmental factors with the risk of cancer
It has been well established that certain lifestyle habits relate to the risk of certain cancers (e.g., smoking and lung cancer). In a well-done analysis, the authors estimate the proportion of cancer in the population associated with a variety of lifestyle and environmental factors. They find that smoking has, by far, the largest effect on the risk of cancer, with 19.4% of cancer cases in the UK attributable to tobacco use. A poor diet (less intake of fruits and vegetables and fibre and greater intake of meat and salt), obesity, and alcohol are the next most important factors that relate to cancer, with alcohol being calculated to relate to 4.0% of cancer cases in the UK.
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