In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name. For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also called Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.
The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of experts recently announced that it has settled on the generic name of Mycoxafloppin. Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and Ibepokin.
Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form. It will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink. This product will give new meaning to the names of "cocktails", "highballs" and a "stiff drink". Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.
There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on
Alzheimer's research. So by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no idea of what to do with them.
If you find this joke to be in bad taste I really don't care.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Turmeric Inhibits colon Cancer
Indian Spice Turmeric Inhibits Cancer Hormones
Curcumin, the main ingredient in the spice turmeric, has been used for centuries in Indian traditional medicine and curry, and has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Now a laboratory study suggests it could become a colon cancer preventive or treatment. The study looked at the effects of curcumin on cell activity and found it interferes with neurotensin, a gastrointestinal hormone suspected of setting off the cancer process in colon cells.
University of Texas researchers treated some human colorectal cancer cells with neurotensin, with and without curcumin. They confirmed that neurotensin started a chain reaction of chemicals that can increase the growth of cancer and also the migration of cancer cells and that curcumin blocked the process.
Curcumin appears to do this by blocking the biochemical signals sent by neurotensin that contribute to colon cancer cell growth and migration (the spread of cancer to other body sites). The cell studies need to be followed up by clinical studies in humans, the researchers say. Curcumin may have the potential to both treat and prevent colon cancer and other cancers.
This study was reported in the journal, Clinical Cancer Research (Volume 12, page 5346. Johns Hopkins Health Alert 8/20/2007
Curcumin, the main ingredient in the spice turmeric, has been used for centuries in Indian traditional medicine and curry, and has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Now a laboratory study suggests it could become a colon cancer preventive or treatment. The study looked at the effects of curcumin on cell activity and found it interferes with neurotensin, a gastrointestinal hormone suspected of setting off the cancer process in colon cells.
University of Texas researchers treated some human colorectal cancer cells with neurotensin, with and without curcumin. They confirmed that neurotensin started a chain reaction of chemicals that can increase the growth of cancer and also the migration of cancer cells and that curcumin blocked the process.
Curcumin appears to do this by blocking the biochemical signals sent by neurotensin that contribute to colon cancer cell growth and migration (the spread of cancer to other body sites). The cell studies need to be followed up by clinical studies in humans, the researchers say. Curcumin may have the potential to both treat and prevent colon cancer and other cancers.
This study was reported in the journal, Clinical Cancer Research (Volume 12, page 5346. Johns Hopkins Health Alert 8/20/2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Anthocyanins slow the growth of colon cancer
New research suggests that anthocyanins -- the compounds that give color to most red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables -- appreciably slow the growth of colon cancer cells.
Evidence from laboratory experiments on rats and on human colon cancer cells also suggests that anthocyanins -- the compounds that give color to most red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables -- appreciably slow the growth of colon cancer cells.
The findings also bring scientists a step closer to figuring out what exactly gives fruits and vegetables their cancer-fighting properties.
“These foods contain many compounds, and we're just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the best health benefits,” said Monica Giusti, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of food science at Ohio State University.
Giusti presented the findings, which represent the collaborative efforts of Giusti and her colleagues, on August 19 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
Giusti and her colleagues found that in some cases, slight alterations to the structure of anthocyanin molecules made these compounds more potent anti-cancer agents.
In their studies on human colon cancer cells grown in laboratory dishes, the researchers tested the anti-cancer effects of anthocyanin-rich extracts from a variety of fruits and vegetables. They retrieved these anthocyanins from some relatively exotic fruits and other plants, including grapes, radishes, purple corn, chokeberries, bilberries, purple carrots and elderberries.
The plants were chosen due to their extremely deep colors, and therefore high anthocyanin content. Some of these plants are also used as a source of food coloring.
The researchers determined the amount of extract needed from each plant to cut the growth of human colon cancer cells in half. Altering pigment structures slightly by adding an extra sugar or acid molecule changed the biological activity of these extracts.
The researchers added different extracts to flasks that contained colon cancer cells. They used an analytical technique called high-performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry in order to determine the exact chemical structure of each compound. They used biological tests to determine the number of cancer cells left after anthocyanin treatment.
The researchers found that the amount of anthocyanin extract needed to reduce cancer cell growth by 50 percent varied among the plants. Extract derived from purple corn was the most potent, in that it took the least amount of this extract (14 micrograms per milliliter of cell growth solution) to cut cell numbers in half. Chokeberry and bilberry extracts were nearly as potent as purple corn. Radish extract proved the least potent, as it took nine times as much (131 µg/ml) of this compound to cut cell growth by 50 percent.
“All fruits and vegetables that are rich in anthocyanins have compounds that can slow down the growth of colon cancer cells, whether in experiments in laboratory dishes or inside the body,” Giusti said.
In additional laboratory studies, she and her colleagues found that anthocyanin pigments from radish and black carrots slowed the growth of cancer cells anywhere from 50 to 80 percent. But pigments from purple corn and chokeberries not only completely stopped the growth of cancer cells, but also killed roughly 20 percent of the cancer cells while having little effect on healthy cells.
In animal studies, rats induced with colon cancer cells were fed a daily diet of anthocyanin extracts either from bilberries and chokeberries, which are most often used as flavorings or to make jams and juices. The dietary addition of the anthocyanin extracts reduced signs of colon tumors by 70 and 60 percent, respectively, when compared to control rats.
Giusti says the results suggest that anthocyanins may protect against certain gastrointestinal cancers.
“Very little anthocyanin is absorbed by the bloodstream,” Giusti said. “But a large proportion travels through the gastrointestinal tract, where those tissues absorb the compound.”
In fact, other researchers at Ohio State have found that black raspberries may help reduce the growth of esophageal and colon cancers tumors.
Still, Giusti stops short of recommending one kind of fruit or vegetable over another. She and her colleagues are continuing to study how the chemical structure of anthocyanins contributes to the potential health benefits of food as well as how changes to these structures may affect the body's ability to use the compounds.
“There are more than 600 different anthocyanins found in nature,” she said. “While we know that the concentration of anthocyanins in the GI tract is ultimately affected by their chemical structures, we're just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding how the body absorbs and uses these different structures.”
She pointed out that her team is also evaluating how these pigments interact with other compounds in foods – such interactions could ultimately affect the health benefits of the food or the anthocyanin itself.
“It is possible to use natural, anthocyanin-based food colorants instead of synthetic dyes,” Giusti said. “Doing so still maintains the wonderful colors of foods while enhancing their health-promoting properties.”
This work received support from a U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Research Initiative grant.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Ohio State University. August 19, 2007
Evidence from laboratory experiments on rats and on human colon cancer cells also suggests that anthocyanins -- the compounds that give color to most red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables -- appreciably slow the growth of colon cancer cells.
The findings also bring scientists a step closer to figuring out what exactly gives fruits and vegetables their cancer-fighting properties.
“These foods contain many compounds, and we're just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the best health benefits,” said Monica Giusti, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of food science at Ohio State University.
Giusti presented the findings, which represent the collaborative efforts of Giusti and her colleagues, on August 19 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
Giusti and her colleagues found that in some cases, slight alterations to the structure of anthocyanin molecules made these compounds more potent anti-cancer agents.
In their studies on human colon cancer cells grown in laboratory dishes, the researchers tested the anti-cancer effects of anthocyanin-rich extracts from a variety of fruits and vegetables. They retrieved these anthocyanins from some relatively exotic fruits and other plants, including grapes, radishes, purple corn, chokeberries, bilberries, purple carrots and elderberries.
The plants were chosen due to their extremely deep colors, and therefore high anthocyanin content. Some of these plants are also used as a source of food coloring.
The researchers determined the amount of extract needed from each plant to cut the growth of human colon cancer cells in half. Altering pigment structures slightly by adding an extra sugar or acid molecule changed the biological activity of these extracts.
The researchers added different extracts to flasks that contained colon cancer cells. They used an analytical technique called high-performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry in order to determine the exact chemical structure of each compound. They used biological tests to determine the number of cancer cells left after anthocyanin treatment.
The researchers found that the amount of anthocyanin extract needed to reduce cancer cell growth by 50 percent varied among the plants. Extract derived from purple corn was the most potent, in that it took the least amount of this extract (14 micrograms per milliliter of cell growth solution) to cut cell numbers in half. Chokeberry and bilberry extracts were nearly as potent as purple corn. Radish extract proved the least potent, as it took nine times as much (131 µg/ml) of this compound to cut cell growth by 50 percent.
“All fruits and vegetables that are rich in anthocyanins have compounds that can slow down the growth of colon cancer cells, whether in experiments in laboratory dishes or inside the body,” Giusti said.
In additional laboratory studies, she and her colleagues found that anthocyanin pigments from radish and black carrots slowed the growth of cancer cells anywhere from 50 to 80 percent. But pigments from purple corn and chokeberries not only completely stopped the growth of cancer cells, but also killed roughly 20 percent of the cancer cells while having little effect on healthy cells.
In animal studies, rats induced with colon cancer cells were fed a daily diet of anthocyanin extracts either from bilberries and chokeberries, which are most often used as flavorings or to make jams and juices. The dietary addition of the anthocyanin extracts reduced signs of colon tumors by 70 and 60 percent, respectively, when compared to control rats.
Giusti says the results suggest that anthocyanins may protect against certain gastrointestinal cancers.
“Very little anthocyanin is absorbed by the bloodstream,” Giusti said. “But a large proportion travels through the gastrointestinal tract, where those tissues absorb the compound.”
In fact, other researchers at Ohio State have found that black raspberries may help reduce the growth of esophageal and colon cancers tumors.
Still, Giusti stops short of recommending one kind of fruit or vegetable over another. She and her colleagues are continuing to study how the chemical structure of anthocyanins contributes to the potential health benefits of food as well as how changes to these structures may affect the body's ability to use the compounds.
“There are more than 600 different anthocyanins found in nature,” she said. “While we know that the concentration of anthocyanins in the GI tract is ultimately affected by their chemical structures, we're just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding how the body absorbs and uses these different structures.”
She pointed out that her team is also evaluating how these pigments interact with other compounds in foods – such interactions could ultimately affect the health benefits of the food or the anthocyanin itself.
“It is possible to use natural, anthocyanin-based food colorants instead of synthetic dyes,” Giusti said. “Doing so still maintains the wonderful colors of foods while enhancing their health-promoting properties.”
This work received support from a U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Research Initiative grant.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Ohio State University. August 19, 2007
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