Brain fatty acid levels linked to depression

A group of Israel researchers has discovered that rats with increased levels of the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, show signs of depression.  There is also evidence that  a dietary deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may be associated with depression.  The  ”phospholipid hypothesis” postulates decreased omega-3 fatty acid intake could be responsible for some types of depression.

The details of their findings appear in the Journal of Lipid Research  showing that omega-3 fatty acid concentration in the blood of depressed patients is lower than that in control patients.  Dr. Green in collaboration with Dr Gal Yadid of Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan used the Flinders Sensitive Line rats to investigate the link between omega-3 fatty acids and depression. They examined the brains of the depressed rats and compared them with brains from normal rats. Surprisingly, they found that the main difference between the two types of rats was in omega-6 fatty acid levels and not omega-3 fatty acid levels. Specifically, they discovered that brains from rats with depression had higher concentrations of arachidonic acid, a long-chain unsaturated metabolite of omega-6 fatty acid.

Arachidonic acid is found throughout the body and is essential for the proper functioning of almost every body organ, including the brain. It serves a wide variety of purposes, from being a purely structural element in phospholipids to being involved in signal transduction and being a substrate for a host of derivatives involved in second messenger function.

“The finding that in the depressive rats the omega-3 fatty acid levels were not decreased, but arachidonic acid was substantially increased as compared to controls is somewhat unexpected,” admits Dr. Green. “But the finding lends itself nicely to the theory that increased omega-3 fatty acid intake may shift the balance between the two fatty acid families in the brain, since it has been demonstrated in animal studies that increased omega-3 fatty acid intake may result in decreased brain arachidonic acid.”

Although far less attention has been paid to dietary requirements for omega-6 fatty acids, which can be found in most edible oils and meat, perhaps in the future depression may be controlled by increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake and decreasing omega-6 fatty acid intake.

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Article adapted by MD Only from original press release.
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Contact: Nicole Kresge
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 11,000 members in the United States and internationally. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, nonprofit research institutions, and industry.

The manuscript for the Journal of Lipid Research paper can be downloaded from clicking Here

Brisk Walk Helps You Stop Snacking

Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that a walk of just fifteen minutes can reduce chocolate cravings. The benefits of exercise in helping people manage dependencies on nicotine and other drugs have previously been recognised. Now, for the first time, newly-published research shows that the same may be true for food cravings.

Following three days of abstinence, 25 regular chocolate eaters were asked to either complete a 15-minute brisk walk or rest, in a random order. They then engaged in tasks that would normally induce chocolate cravings, including a mental challenge and opening a chocolate bar.

After exercise participants reported lower cravings than after rest. Cravings were not only reduced during the walk, but for at least ten minutes afterwards. The exercise also limited increases in cravings in response to the two tasks.

Professor Adrian Taylor comments: “Our ongoing work consistently shows that brief bouts of physical activity reduce cigarette cravings, but this is the first study to link exercise to reduced chocolate cravings. Neuroscientists have suggested common processes in the reward centres of the brain between drug and food addictions, and it may be that exercise effects brain chemicals that help to regulate mood and cravings. This could be good news for people who struggle to manage their cravings for sugary snacks and want to lose weight.”

Previous research has suggested that 97% of women and 68% of men experience food cravings. Craved foods tend to be calorie-dense, fatty or sugary foods, with chocolate being the most commonly reported. Chocolate has a number of biologically active constituents that temporarily enhance our mood with a result that eating it can become a habit, particularly when we are under stress and when it is readily available, and perhaps when we are least active.

Professor Taylor concludes: “While enjoying the occasional chocolate bar is fine, in time, regular eating may lead to stronger cravings during stress and when it is readily available. Recognising what causes us to eat high energy snacks, even if we have plans to not do so, can be helpful.”

“Short bouts of physical activity can help to regulate how energised and pleasant we feel, and with a sedentary lifestyle we may naturally turn to mood regulating behaviours such as eating chocolate. Accumulating 30 minutes of daily physical activity, with two 15 minute brisk walks, for example, not only provides general physical and mental health benefits but also may help to regulate our energy intake. This research furthers our understanding of the complex physical, psychological and emotional relationship we have with food.”

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Article adapted by MD Only from original press release.
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Contact: Sarah Hoyle
University of Exeter

Spices protect against the consequences of high blood sugar

Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new University of Georgia study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.

Researchers, whose results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices. In addition to finding high levels of antioxidant-rich compounds known as phenols, they revealed a direct correlation between phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging.

“Because herbs and spices have a very low calorie content and are relatively inexpensive, they’re a great way to get a lot of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power into your diet,” said study co-author James Hargrove, associate professor of foods and nutrition in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Hargrove explained that when blood sugar levels are high, a process known as protein glycation occurs in which the sugar bonds with proteins to eventually form what are known as advanced glycation end products, also known as AGE compounds. The acronym is fitting because these compounds activate the immune system, resulting in the inflammation and tissue damage associated with aging and diabetes.

The researchers found a strong and direct correlation between the phenol content of common herbs and spices and their ability to inhibit the formation of AGE compounds. Spices such as cloves and cinnamon had phenol levels that were 30 percent and 18 percent of dry weight, respectively, while herbs such as oregano and sage were eight and six percent phenol by dry weight, respectively. For comparison, blueberries – which are widely touted for their antioxidant capabilities – contain roughly five percent phenol by dry weight.

Study co-author Diane Hartle, associate professor in the UGA College of Pharmacy, said various phenols are absorbed differently by the body and have different mechanisms of action, so it’s likely that a variety of spices will provide maximum benefit.

“If you set up a good herb and spice cabinet and season your food liberally, you could double or even triple the medicinal value of your meal without increasing the caloric content,” she said.

She added that controlling blood sugar and the formation of AGE compounds can also decrease the risk of cardiovascular damage associated with diabetes and aging. She explained that high blood sugar accelerates heart disease partly because AGE compounds form in the blood and in the walls of blood vessels. The AGE compounds aggravate atherosclerosis, which produces cholesterol plaques.

The UGA researchers tested for the ability to block AGE compounds in a test tube, but animal studies conducted on the health benefits of spices lend support to their argument. Cinnamon and cinnamon extracts, for example, have been shown to lower blood sugar in mice. Interestingly, cinnamon lowers blood sugar by acting on several different levels, Hargrove said. It slows the emptying of the stomach to reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals and improves the effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin. It also enhances antioxidant defenses.

Hargrove said their findings suggest it’s likely that the herbs and spices they studied will provide similar benefits in animal tests. He points out that because humans have been consuming herbs and spices for thousands of years, they come without the risk of possible side effects that accompany medications.

“Culinary herbs and spices are all generally recognized as safe and have been time-tested in the diet,” he said. “Indeed, some of spices and herbals are now sold as food supplements because of their recognized health benefits.”

Study co-author Phillip Greenspan, associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, noted that most people don’t get their recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Rather than seasoning their food with salt – which provides no beneficial phenols and has been linked to high blood pressure – he recommends that people use a variety of herbs and spices to help boost the nutritional quality of their meals.

“When you add herbs and spices to food, you definitely provide yourself with additional benefits besides taste,” Greenspan said.

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Article adapted by MD Only from original press release.
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Contact: Sam Fahmy
University of Georgia

Arthritis sufferers get relief with Boswellia in 7 days

An enriched extract of the ‘Indian Frankincense’ herb Boswellia serrata has been proven to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research published today in BioMed Central’s open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy has shown that patients taking the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis; it commonly affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips, along with the hands, wrists, feet and spine. The symptoms include pain, stiffness and limited movement. This randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 70 patients will be of great interest to sufferers, especially those who don’t get adequate relief from existing treatments.

The study was led by Siba Raychaudhuri, a faculty member of the University of California, Davis, in the United States. According to Raychaudhuri, “The high incidence of adverse affects associated with currently available medications has created great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment”. The extract the authors used was enriched with 30% AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid), which is thought to be the most active ingredient in the plant. Raychaudhuri said, “AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that B. serrata enriched with AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee”. This is a proprietary product developed by Laila Nutraceuticals.

B. serrata has been used for thousands of years in the Indian system of traditional medicine known as ‘Ayurveda’. This study is the first to prove that an enriched extract of the plant can be used as a successful treatment.

The same authors have previously tested the safety of their remedy in animal experiments. They say that, “In this study, the compound was shown to have no major adverse effects in our osteoarthritis patients. It is safe for human consumption and even for long-term use”.

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Article adapted by MD Only from original press release.
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Contact: Graeme Baldwin
BioMed Central 

 

References

1. A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin(R) for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee Krishanu Sengupta, Krishnaraju V Alluri, Andey Rama Sathis, Simanchala Mishra, Trimurtulu Golakoti, Kadainti VS Sarma, Dipak Dey and Siba P Raychaudhuri Arthritis Research & Therapy (in press)

2. Arthritis Research & Therapy is an international, peer-reviewed online and print journal, publishing original research, reviews, commentaries and reports. Studies relate to the rationale and treatment of arthritis, autoimmune disease and diseases of bone and cartilage. The journal is edited by Prof Peter E Lipsky (USA) and Prof Sir Ravinder N Maini (UK) and has an Impact Factor of 4.04.

3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an independent online publishing house committed to providing immediate access without charge to the peer-reviewed biological and medical research it publishes. This commitment is based on the view that open access to research is essential to the rapid and efficient communication of science.

The bad breath cure

Dental research shows effective way to kill odor-causing bacteria

More than 90 million Americans can sigh comfortably because of new relief for their bad breath. Dental experts today revealed research highlighting a new treatment option that can eliminate halitosis or chronic bad breath at the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) 53rd Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

“Bad breath is no laughing matter and can actually be an indication of more serious health concerns such as infections,” said general and cosmetic dentist, Louis J. Malcmacher, DDS, FAGD and AGD member.

The research showed that using low concentrations of carbamide peroxide, an odorless ingredient used to bleach and disinfect teeth, can effectively treat chronic bad breath. Patients seeking this treatment, which costs approximately $500.00, need to first visit their dentist to have customized trays or mouth guards made to fit tightly around their teeth. A low concentration of carbamide peroxide is then placed in the tray and into the patient’s mouth, where it remains for an hour. After the first treatment, patients are able to repeat this process at home for an hour everyday. After approximately three treatments, the patient will notice a significant change in their breath.

Until now, dentists could only offer treatment plans that reduced, but not treat, bad breath. In the past, using various types of mouthwash and toothpaste provided a temporary solution; however, they did not stay in the mouth long enough to significantly impact bad breath.

“If you are suffering from chronic bad breath it is important to work closely with your dentist to rule out other health concerns associated with this condition and to identify the most appropriate treatment plan,” said Dr. Malcmacher. “This new treatment provides dentists with an effective option to actually kill the odor causing bacteria, rather than simply mask the problem.”

Bad breath originates from the gums and tongue in a majority of patients. However, odor coming from the back of the tongue may indicate post-nasal drip. Bad breath also may occur in people who have an infection, gum disease, diabetes, kidney failure, or a liver malfunction. Xerostomia (dry mouth) and tobacco also contribute to this problem. Cancer patients who undergo radiation therapy may experience dry mouth. Even stress, dieting, snoring, aging and hormonal changes can have an effect on breath.

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Article adapted by MD Only Weblog from original press release.
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Contact: Jennifer Starkey
Academy of General Dentistry

Hope for Diabetics at risk of blindness

Brand new research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester is bringing hope to hundreds of people with diabetes who lose their sight each year as a side-effect of the disease.

People with diabetes commonly experience blindness, or a reduction in sight, when a lack of oxygen at the back of the eye causes tiny blood vessels to overgrow into the vitreous humour, which is a jelly like substance. This jelly like substance is removed during surgery to treat this problem.

Pharmaceutical researchers at the University of East Anglia have revealed that they are developing an artificial form of this vitreous humour so that it can be replaced following surgery or if it has been damaged or degenerated for other reasons.

Biologist Janine Morris working with Pharmacist Susan Barker and Biologist Julie Sanderson at the School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, is identifying the essential characteristics of the human and pig vitreous humour so that they can be mimicked artificially.

She says: “I am currently making a gel that imitates the vitreous humour and which is non-cytotoxic to the human eye. The substance will also include anti-angiogenic drugs to prevent the blood vessels re-growing and the original damage re-occurring.”

Placing this artificial jelly into the damaged eye should certainly improve and potentially restore lost sight. Janine Morris says that the research, which is in the preliminary stages, is good news for diabetes sufferers who will be protected against recurring damage. “The idea that we can potentially improve and maintain sight for diabetes sufferers by replacing the vitreous humour is amazing,” she says.

The vitreous humour is a clear gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eye. It is 99% water but also contains collagen fibres, inorganic salts, acids and sugar.

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Article adapted by MD Only Weblog from original press release.
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For further information please visit:
The University of East Anglia

The Role of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance in Teens

A survey of sleep-deprived teens finds they think that a later start time for school and tests given later in the school day would result in better grades. The survey was presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Sunday, May 20.The survey of 280 high school students confirmed what most parents with a teenager know: they are not getting enough sleep. More sleep would translate into improved academic performance, according to the teens questioned. They all attended Harriton High School in suburban Philadelphia, where the school day begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:25 p.m.

The survey found that:

• 78% of students said it was difficult to get up in the morning
• Only 16% said they regularly had enough sleep
• 70% thought their grades would improve if they had more sleep
• 90% thought their academic performance would improve if school were to start later

The surveyed teens said they do not feel alert while taking tests during early morning periods, and they do not think they can perform at the pinnacle of their ability during the early morning hours. Most students said they thought the best time to take a test would be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They thought they would perform better academically and that their grades would improve if they could sleep longer.

Richard Schwab, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, conducted the study with his daughter Amanda, one of the sleep-deprived teens who attended Harriton High School. “I watched her get up early for four years, and saw how difficult it was,” Dr. Schwab says. “Teenagers need more sleep than adults and their circadian rhythms are phase shifted so that their ideal bedtime is midnight to 1:00 a.m.; yet they have to get up at 6:30 or earlier for high school.

While adults usually need 7 to 8 hours of sleep, teens need 8 to 9 hours, he says. In addition, teens go to bed much later – their biological clock often keeps them up until 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. Because they have to get up so early for school, many teens achieve only 6 ½ to 7 hours of sleep or, in some cases, much less. That means they tend to sleep in on the weekends, often until 11 am or later, to try to make up for their sleep deficit.

“Right now, high schools usually start earlier in the morning than elementary schools. But if school start times were based on sleep cycles, elementary schools should start at 7:30 and high schools at 8:30 or 8:45 – right now it’s the reverse. School systems should be thinking about changing their start times. It would not be easy—they would have to change the busing system—but it would increase their student’s sleep time and likely improve their school performance.”

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Article adapted by MD Only Weblog from original press release.
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Contact: Suzy Martin
American Thoracic Society

Overeating disrupts body clock causes weight gain

Our body’s 24-hour internal clock, or circadian clock, regulates the time we go to sleep, wake up and become hungry as well as the daily rhythms of many metabolic functions. The clock — an ancient molecular machine found in organisms large and small, simple and complex — properly aligns one’s physiology with one’s environment.Now, for the first time, a Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) study has shown that overeating alters the core mechanism of the body clock, throwing off the timing of internal signals, including appetite control, critical for good health. Animals on a high-fat diet gained weight and suddenly exhibited a disruption in their circadian clocks, eating extra calories during the time they should have been asleep or at rest.

The study, which will be published in the Nov. 7 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, also shows that changes in metabolic state associated with obesity and diabetes not only affects the circadian rhythms of behavior but also of physiology. Probing beyond the behavioral level, the researchers observed actual changes in genes that encode the clock in the brain and in peripheral tissues (such as fat), resulting in diminished expression of those genes.

These findings close an important loop in studies led by Joe Bass, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern and head of the division of endocrinology and metabolism at ENH, of the relationship between the body clock and metabolism. Two years ago Bass and his colleagues reported in the journal Science that a faulty or misaligned body clock can wreak havoc on the body and its metabolism, increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes.

Since then, knowing that genetic mutations rarely are the reason for a malfunctioning body clock, Bass has been wondering what could upset the operation of this internal timing device. What are the environmental factors or common influences that might affect the clock and in turn disrupt the sleep/wake cycle”

“Our study was simple — to determine if food itself can alter the clock,” said Bass, senior author of the paper. “The answer is yes, alterations in feeding affect timing. We found that as an animal on a high-fat diet gains weight it eats at the inappropriate time for its sleep/wake cycle — all of the excess calories are consumed when the animal should be resting. For a human, that would be like raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night and binging on junk food.”

The clock-metabolism cycles feed on each other, creating a vicious loop, says Bass. Once weight gain starts, the clock is disrupted, and a disrupted clock exacerbates the original problem, affecting metabolism negatively and increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes.

“Timing and metabolism evolved together and are almost a conjoined system,” said Bass. “If we perturb the delicate balance between the two, we see deleterious effects.”

The biological clock is central to behavior and tissue physiology. Clocks function in the brain as well as lung, liver, heart and skeletal muscles. They operate on a 24-hour, circadian (Latin for “about a day”) cycle that governs functions like sleeping and waking, rest and activity, fluid balance, body temperature, cardiac output, oxygen consumption and endocrine gland secretion.

In their study, Bass and his team studied mice with the same genetic backgrounds. After feeding them a regular diet for two weeks, they were split into two groups for the remaining six weeks, one kept on a regular diet and the other fed a high-fat diet. After two weeks, those on the high-fat diet showed a spontaneous shift in their normal pattern of activity/eating and resting/sleeping. They began to eat during their typical rest or sleep period (daylight for a mouse). The animals on a regular diet did not exhibit this behavior.

“It’s not just that the animals are eating more at regular meals,” said Bass. “What’s happened is that they actually shift their eating habits so that all excess food intake occurs during their normal rest period.”

In the study’s high-calorie, high-fat diet, 45 percent of calories was contributed by fat. For humans, a diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat is recommended.

The entire study was conducted in darkness so that the behavior of the animals simply reflected their internal clock; a normal animal has a very fixed daily period of just less than 24 hours. For animals on a high-fat diet, after two weeks on that diet the animals’ behavior changed: their daily period of sleep/wake was lengthened by a significant amount. This suggests, says Bass, that the central mechanism in the brain that controls the timing of the cycle of activity and rest is affected by a high-fat diet.

“Our findings have implications for human disease,” said Bass. “These basic advances in science can be applied to the studies of common disorders like obesity and diabetes. It is important to understand what happens when diet changes.”

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Article adapted by MD Only Weblog from original press release.
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Contact: Wendy Leopold
Northwestern University

In addition to Bass, other authors of the paper, titled “High-Fat Diet Disrupts Behavioral and Molecular Circadian Rhythms in Mice,” are Akira Kohsaka, of Northwestern (lead author); Aaron Laposky, research assistant professor at Northwestern’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology; Kathryn Moynihan Ramsey, Carmela Estrada and Corrine Joshu, of Northwestern; Yumiko Kobayashi, of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare; and Fred W. Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern and director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology.

Adding Vitamins C and E to diet improves effectiveness of insulin

Adding antioxidants to therapy improves drug’s ability to reduce blood sugar

Boosting insulin with vitamins C and E may improve the drug’s effectiveness for treating diabetes.

A UC Irvine College of Medicine study has found that the popular antioxidant supplements not only enhance insulin’s ability to reduce blood sugar, but also lower the risks of organ damage that can occur despite insulin treatments. The study appears in the January issue of Kidney International.

Dr. Nick Vaziri, professor of medicine, and his team found that untreated diabetes raised blood pressure and increased the production of damaging oxidizing agents called free radicals. The free radicals converted sugars and proteins into harmful chemicals, increasing the risks of tissue damage often seen in untreated diabetes.

Treating the rats with insulin alone improved high blood pressure somewhat and partially spared the sugars and proteins from the free radicals’ assault. But it also added a new problem, as the free radicals turned their attack on nitric oxide, a ubiquitous molecule that usually protects the body from free radicals. This new attack results in yet more toxic chemicals, with the potential to inflict damage to tissues.

Adding vitamins C and E to insulin, however, spared the sugars, proteins and nitric oxide from attack.

“Blood pressure was lowered to normal, and free radicals were not in sufficient numbers to degrade the sugars, proteins and nitric oxide,” Vaziri said. “We think this shows that a diet rich in antioxidants may help diabetics prevent the devastating cardiovascular, kidney, neurological and other damage that are common complications of diabetes.”

Diabetes affects nearly 17 million Americans. Insulin is the predominant treatment, but patients eventually develop complications, like various forms of heart disease and nerve, liver and kidney damage. Studies would still have to be tested in humans, but Vaziri believes that adding vitamins C and E to an insulin-dependent diabetic’s diet should help treat the disease and perhaps prevent future organ damage.

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Article adapted by MD Only Weblog from original press release.
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Contact: Andrew Porterfield
University of California – Irvine

Ginseng extract fights diabetes, lowers cholesterol and decreases weight

An extract from the ginseng berry shows real promise in treating diabetes and obesity, reports a research team from the University of Chicago’s Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research. In the June issue of the journal Diabetes, they show that the extract completely normalized blood glucose levels, improved sensitivity to insulin, lowered cholesterol levels, and decreased weight by reducing appetite and increasing activity levels in mice bred to develop diabetes.For more than 2000 years, traditional Chinese medicine has used ginseng root to treat a variety of ailments. This study focused instead on substances found in the ginseng berry, which has very different concentrations of ginsenosides, the substances thought to be medically useful.

“Ginseng berry has a distinctive chemical profile and has not previously been used for therapy,” said Chun-Su Yuan, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago and director of the study. “We were stunned by how different the berry is from the root and by how effective it is in correcting the multiple metabolic abnormalities associated with diabetes.”

Yuan’s team, which included researchers from the Tang Center, anesthesia, clinical pharmacology and medicine, studied the effects of the extract, made from the pulp of the berry. They also studied one particular substance known as ginsenoside Re, which is concentrated in ginseng berries but quite scarce in the root.

They tested the extract by injecting it once a day into mice with a gene defect that causes weight gain and type 2 diabetes. They found that —

• Daily injections of 150 mg/kg of the ginseng berry extract restored normal blood-sugar levels in diabetic mice. Blood-glusoce levels fell from 222 mg/dl (quite high for a mouse) to 137 mg/dl (normal) within 12 days. Treated mice also had better scores on a glucose tolerance test, which measures how quickly the mice could remove excess glucose from the blood.
• The extract caused diabetic mice, which were also obese, to lose more than 10 percent of their body weight in 12 days. Untreated mice gained five percent of their weight in 12 days. The treated mice ate 15 percent less and were 35 percent more active than untreated mice. Once the injections stopped, weight gain gradually resumed.
• The extract improved insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, both of which were abnormal in mice with diabetes.
• Treated diabetic mice had 30 percent lower cholesterol levels than untreated diabetic mice (117mg/dl versus 169mg/dl).

The extract had no detectable effect on normal mice.

Tests using a ginsenoside Re alone found that it had all of the anti-diabetic but none of the obesity-fighting activities of the extract.

“This novel compound could serve as the basis for a whole new class of anti-diabetic medications,” said Yuan, who is also working to isolate other substances from the extract that contributed to the weight loss.

There is a pressing need for new and more effective drugs for both diabetes and obesity. Diabetes is the seventh leading killer in the U.S. Type 2 diabetes affects almost six percent of the U.S. population and 18.4 percent of those over 65. The cost of the disease is estimated at $105 billion each year.

The U.S. Surgeon General estimates that 61 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Obesity — wieghing more than 20 percent over your maximum recommended body weight — contributes to an estimated 300,000 deaths each year. The economic cost of obesity in the U.S. was about $117 billion in 2000. The rising rate of obesity also contributes to the growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes.

“Since this berry contains agents that are effective against both obesity and diabetes, the ginseng fruit has enormous promise as a source of new drugs,” said Yuan, who has worked with the University to apply for a patent on the development of ginsenoside Re as a diabetes medication.

“The next step is to isolate the other substances in the extract, find out whether they also effect glucose regulation or weight gain, learn how they work and determine the safe and effective dose.”

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Article adapted by MD Only Weblog from original press release.
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Contact: John Easton
University of Chicago Medical Center

Additional authors of the study were Anoja Attele, Yun-Ping Zhou, Jing-Tian Xie, Ji An Wu, Liu Zhang, Lucy Dey, William Pugh and Paul Rue of the University of Chicago and Kenneth Polonsky, now at Washington University in St. Louis. The research was funded by the Tang Family Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.