Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 12/10/08.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Mould Toxins More Prevalent And Hazardous Than Thought - Science Daily, 12/9/08 - "toxins produced by mould are more potent than was previously thought. It has now been shown, for instance, that mould toxins (mycotoxins) not only directly kill cells but can also affect immune cells in a way that increases the risk of allergies. Even incredibly tiny amounts of these toxins can do this, as little as a few picograms (a picogram is one millionth of a millionth of a gram)"

Tadalafil Most Effective Treatment for Severe Erectile Dysfunction, Preferred by Patients - Doctor's Guide, 12/9/08 - "Tadalafil is slightly more effective than sildenafil and vardenafil in treating men with severe erectile dysfunction (ED), and more ED patients preferred tadalafil for erection quality, according to a prospective, randomised study presented at the Joint Congress of the European and International Societies for Sexual Medicine" - See tadalafil at OffshoreRx1.com.

Men’s Vitamin D Levels Dipped over Decades - WebMD, 12/8/08 - "men's vitamin D levels have declined between 7% and 12% over the past 15 to 20 years ... She attributes most of the decline to changes in body mass index, decreases in milk intake, and increases in sun protection ... vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cancer, heart disease, depression, and weight gain" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Metabolic Syndrome? Nuts! - WebMD, 12/8/08 - "A group that was given personalized advice on the Mediterranean diet and about 2 tablespoons of mixed nuts (1/2 walnuts, 1/4 almonds, and 1/4 hazelnuts) each day ... A year later, nobody lost weight. And about the same number of people developed newly diagnosed metabolic syndrome in each group ... But among patients who already had metabolic syndrome, those in the nut group were 70% more likely to have reversal of metabolic syndrome than those in the control group"

Broccoli compound may inhibit lung cancer from tobacco smoke: Study - Nutra USA, 12/8/08 - "exposed experimental mice to carcinogenic compounds found in tobacco smoke called 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) plus benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) ... This resulted in an average of 21 tumours per mouse after 16 weeks. However, mice fed diets containing 1, 10, 30, 71, and 112 micromoles per gram of I3C were found to have reductions in the number of tumours by 15, 51, 53, 75, and 88 per cent, respectively" - See indole 3 carbinol at Amazon.com.

New data: High-fructose corn syrup no worse than sugar - USATODAY.com, 12/8/08 - "Now, the tide of research, if not public opinion, has shifted. This week, five papers published in a supplement to Clinical Nutrition find no special link between consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity ... It doesn't appear that when you consume high-fructose corn syrup, you have any different total effect on appetite than if you consume any other sugar"

Vitamin B1 Could Reverse Early-stage Kidney Disease In Diabetes Patients - Science Daily, 12/8/08 - "the team show 300 mg of thiamine taken orally each day for three months reduced the rate of albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes patients. The albumin excretion rate was decreased by 41% from the value at the start of the study. The results also showed 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw a return to normal urinary albumin excretion after being treated with thiamine ... were randomly assigned a placebo or 3 x 100mg tablets of thiamine a day for three months"

Epilepsy Drug Shows Potential For Alzheimer’s Treatment - Science Daily, 12/8/08 - "Sodium valproate - which is marketed as the anti-seizure drug Epilim - has been shown by scientists at the University of Leeds to reactivate the body’s own defences against a small protein called amyloid beta peptide, which is the main component of the brain plaques characteristic in Alzheimer’s"

Antibiotics: Single Largest Class Of Drugs Causing Liver Injury - Science Daily, 12/8/08 - "Antibiotics are the single largest class of agents that cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) ... DILI is the most common cause of death from acute liver failure and accounts for approximately 13 percent of cases of acute liver failure in the U.S"

A Little Wine Boosts Omega-3 In The Body: Novel Mechanism For A Healthier Heart Found - Science Daily, 12/5/08 - "moderate alcohol drinking acts like a 'trigger', boosting the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body ... the association was stronger between wine drinking and omega-3 fatty acids levels. This suggests that components of wine other than alcohol is associated with omega-3 fatty acids concentration. We may guess this effect can be ascribed to polyphenols"

Vitamin E Shows Possible Promise In Easing Chronic Inflammation - Science Daily, 12/4/08 - "the larger take-home message of the study, published in the December issue of the journal Experimental Physiology, is that Vitamin E “may be beneficial in individuals with chronic inflammation, such as the elderly or patients with type II diabetes or chronic heart failure" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.

Calcium And Vitamin D May Not Be The Only Protection Against Bone Loss - Science Daily, 12/3/08 - "Diets that are high in protein and cereal grains produce an excess of acid in the body which may increase calcium excretion and weaken bones ... When fruits and vegetables are metabolized they add bicarbonate, an alkaline compound, to the body ... bicarbonate had a favorable effect on bone resorption and calcium excretion ... 171 men and women aged 50 and older were randomized to receive placebo or doses of either: potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or potassium chloride for three months. Researchers found that subjects taking bicarbonate had significant reductions in calcium excretion, signaling a decrease in bone resorption"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Effect of ginsam, a vinegar extract from Panax ginseng, on body weight and glucose homeostasis in an obese insulin-resistant rat model - Metabolism. 2009 Jan;58(1):8-15 - "We evaluated the antihyperglycemic and antiobesity effects of ginsam, a component of Panax ginseng produced by vinegar extraction, which is enriched in the ginsenoside Rg3 ... Insulin-resistant rats treated with ginsam had lower fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations compared with vehicle-treated rats. Importantly, overall glucose excursion during the intraperitoneal 2-hour glucose tolerance test decreased by 21.5% (P < .01) in the treated rats, indicating improved glucose tolerance. Plasma insulin concentration was significantly lower in ginsam-treated rats. These changes may be related to increased glucose transporter 4 expression in skeletal muscle. Interestingly, when the data from both ginsam-treated groups were combined, body weight was 60% lower in the ginsam-treated rats than in the controls (P < .01). Liver weight and serum alanine aminotransferase concentrations were also lower in the ginsam-treated rats. These effects were associated with increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma expression and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in liver and muscle. Our data suggest that ginsam has distinct beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and body weight control in an obese animal model of insulin resistance by changing the expression of genes involved in glucose and fatty acid metabolism" - See ginseng at Amazon.com.

Resveratrol protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced apoptosis through the SIRT1-FoxO1 pathway - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Dec 3 - "Loss of cardiomyocytes through apoptosis has been proposed as a cause of ventricular remodeling and heart failure. Ischemia- and hypoxia-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes reportedly plays an important role in many cardiac pathologies. We investigated whether resveratrol (Res) has direct cytoprotective effects against ischemia/hypoxia for cardiomyocytes. Exposure of H9c2 embryonic rat heart-derived cells to hypoxia for 24h caused a significant increase in apoptosis, as evaluated by TUNEL and flow cytometry, while treatment with 20muM Res greatly decreased hypoxia-induced apoptosis in these cells. Exposure of the cells to Res (20muM) caused rapid activation of SIRT1, which had a dual effect on FoxO1 function: SIRT1 increased FoxO1's ability to induce cell cycle arrest, but inhibited FoxO1's ability to induce cell death. This effect could be reversed by SIRT1 inhibition. Results of our study indicate that Res inhibits hypoxia-induced apoptosis via the SIRT1-FoxO1 pathway in H9c2 cells. This polyphenol may have potential in preventing cardiovascular disease, especially in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Characterizing components of the Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (SPBE) on prostate cancer cell growth and traction - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Dec 4 - "Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (SPBE) ... The results show for the first time the potential of SPBE, beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol as potential anti-tumor agents" - See beta sitosterol at Amazon.com and saw palmetto at Amazon.com.

Indole-3-carbinol Inhibits Sp1-Induced Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Expression To Attenuate Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Dec 5 - "Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a major indole metabolite in cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to inhibit invasion of breast cancer cells ... Migration, invasion, and MMP-2 activity of MCF-7 breast cancer cells were dose-dependently inhibited by I3C. In addition, the MMP-2 mRNA level was also reduced by I3C ... In addition, I3C inhibited the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway in MCF-7 cells. The results suggest that I3C inhibits MMP-2 expression by blocking the ERK/Sp1-mediated gene transcription to attenuate migration and invasion of breast cancer cells" - See indole 3 carbinol at Amazon.com.

Cobalamin deficiency: Neurological aspects in 27 cases - Rev Neurol (Paris). 2008 Dec 2 - "Combined medullar sclerosis, together with peripheral sensory neuropathies, is the most common neurological manifestation observed in cobalamin deficiency. Biermer's disease is the predominant cause ... cobalamin (B12 vitamin) ... Dysautonomia revealed cobalamin deficiency in three patients with a good and fast response to the cobalamin therapy in all cases ... Outcome was very good in 46% of patients after vitamin replacement, particularly if treatment was started rapidly" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.

D-Ribose Benefits Restless Legs Syndrome - J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Nov;14(9):1165-1166 - "D-ribose did not totally eliminate their discomfort, but the severity and onset of symptoms affecting their quality of life was substantially improved with D-ribose without any adverse reactions" - See ribose products at iHerb.

Effect of alpha-tocopherol, N-acetylcysteine and omeprazole on esophageal adenocarcinoma formation in a rat surgical model - Int J Cancer. 2008 Oct 20 - "oxidative stress subsequent to gastroesophageal reflux is an important driving force of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) formation in the esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) rat model. This study investigated the possible tumor inhibitory effects of 2 antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol (389 and 778 ppm), N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 500 and 1,000 ppm), and their combination (389 and 500 ppm, respectively), as well as an antacid therapeutic agent, omeprazole (1,400 ppm) ... alpha-Tocopherol dose-dependently decreased the incidence of EAC (p = 0.03), with 778 ppm alpha-tocopherol reducing the incidence of EAC to 59% (16/27) in comparison with 84% (26/31) in the control group (p = 0.04). Supplementation of alpha-tocopherol also increased the serum concentration of alpha-tocopherol. NAC at 500 and 1,000 ppm did not significantly decrease EAC incidence; however, the combination of alpha-tocopherol 389 ppm and NAC 500 ppm significantly reduced the incidence of EAC to 55% (15/27) (p = 0.02). alpha-Tocopherol alone or in combination with NAC significantly reduced the number of infiltrating cells positively stained for 4-hydroxynonenal. Omeprazole showed only a slight nonsignificant inhibitory effect at the dose given"

Vitamin D Deficiency An Important, Common, and Easily Treatable Cardiovascular Risk Factor? - J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Dec 9;52(24):1949-1956 - "Vitamin D deficiency is a highly prevalent condition, present in approximately 30% to 50% of the general population. A growing body of data suggests that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels may adversely affect cardiovascular health. Vitamin D deficiency activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and can predispose to hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency causes an increase in parathyroid hormone, which increases insulin resistance and is associated with diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, and increased cardiovascular risk. Epidemiologic studies have associated low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels with coronary risk factors and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Vitamin D supplementation is simple, safe, and inexpensive. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to firmly establish the relevance of vitamin D status to cardiovascular health. In the meanwhile, monitoring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and correction of vitamin D deficiency is indicated for optimization of musculoskeletal and general health" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

L-Carnitine supplementation reduces oxidized LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec 3 - "The 2 groups received either 2 g L-carnitine once daily (n = 41) or placebo ... the L-carnitine-treated patients showed significant improvements compared with the placebo group in the following markers: oxidized LDL levels decreased by 15.1 compared with 3.0 U/L (P < 0.001); LDL cholesterol decreased by 0.45 compared with 0.16 mmol/L (P < 0.05); triglycerides decreased by 1.02 compared with 0.09 mmol/L (P < 0.001); apolipoprotein A1 concentrations decreased by 0.12 compared with 0.03 mg/dL (P < 0.05); apolipoprotein B-100 concentrations decreased by 0.13 compared with 0.04 mg/dL (P < 0.05); thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance concentrations decreased by 1.92 compared with 0.05 (P < 0.001), and conjugated diene concentrations decreased by 0.72 compared with 0.11 in the placebo group ... Our study indicates that oral administration of L-carnitine reduces oxidized LDL cholesterol levels in patients with type 2 diabetes" - See l-carnitine at Amazon.com.

The Effects of Natural Antioxidants from Tomato Extract in Treated but Uncontrolled Hypertensive Patients - Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2008 Dec 4 - "two double blind cross-over treatment periods of 6 weeks each, with standardized tomato extract or identical placebo ... There was a significant reduction of systolic BP after 6 weeks of tomato extract supplementation, from 145.8 +/- 8.7 to 132.2 +/- 8.6 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 140.4 +/- 13.3 to 128.7 +/- 10.4 mmHg (p < 0.001) in the two groups accordingly. Similarly, there was a decline in diastolic BP from 82.1 +/- 7.2 to 77.9 +/- 6.8 mmHg (p = 0.001) and from 80.1 +/- 7.9 to 74.2 +/- 8.5 mmHg (p = 0.001). There was no significant change in systolic and diastolic BP during the placebo period" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.

Short-term aromatase inhibition: effects on glucose metabolism and serum leptin levels in young and elderly men - Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 Dec 2 - "Ten elderly and nine young healthy men were randomized to receive letrozole 2.5 mg daily or placebo for 28 days in a crossover design. Results: Both in young and elderly men, active treatment significantly increased serum testosterone (+128 and +99%, resp.) and decreased estradiol levels (-41 and -62%, resp.). Fasting glucose and insulin levels decreased in young men after active intervention (-7 and -37%, resp.) compared to placebo. Leptin levels fell markedly in both age groups (-24 and -25%, resp.), while adiponectin levels were not affected by the intervention. Lipid profile was slightly impaired in both groups, with increasing LDL-cholesterol levels (+14%) in the younger age group and 10% lower levels of ApoA1 in the elderly. A decline in IGF-1 levels (-15%) was observed in the younger age group. No changes in weight or BMI were observed in either young or old men" - Note:  I take a quarter tablet of letrozole every other day to prevent aromatization.  See letrozole at OffshoreRx1.com.

Efficacy of a Vitamin/Nutriceutical Formulation for Early-stage Alzheimer's Disease: A 1-Year, Open-Label Pilot Study With an 16-Month Caregiver Extension - Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Dec 1 - "We examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate, vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14 community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests (Clox 1 and 2). Family caregivers reported improvement in multiple domains of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and maintenance of performance in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Sustained performance was reported by caregivers for those participants who continued in an 16-month extension. Performance on the NPI was equivalent to published findings at 3 to 6 months for donepezil and exceeded that of galantamine and their historical placebos. Participants demonstrated superior performance for more than 12 months in NPI and ADL versus those receiving naproxen and rofecoxib or their placebo group. This formulation holds promise for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease prior to and/or as a supplement for pharmacological approaches"

Effect of cranberry extracts on lipid profiles in subjects with Type 2 diabetes - Diabet Med. 2008 Dec;25(12):1473-7 - "Changes in lipid profiles, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), glycaemic control, components of the metabolic syndrome, C-reactive protein (CRP) and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) were assessed after cranberry or placebo treatment for 12 weeks ... Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased significantly in the cranberry group (from 3.3 +/- 0.2 to 2.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/l, P = 0.005) and the decrease was significantly greater than that in the placebo group (-0.4 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.2 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, P < 0.001). Total cholesterol and total : high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio also decreased significantly (P = 0.020 and 0.044, respectively) in the cranberry group and the reductions were significantly different from those in the placebo group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.032, respectively) ... Cranberry supplements are effective in reducing atherosclerotic cholesterol profiles, including LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, as well as total : HDL cholesterol ratio, and have a neutral effect on glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetic subjects taking oral glucose-lowering agents" - See cranberry extract at Amazon.com.

Dietary intakes of mushrooms and green tea combine to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women - Int J Cancer. 2008 Oct 1 - "Compared with nonconsumers, the Odds ratios (Ors) were 0.36 (95% CI = 0.25-0.51) and 0.53 (0.38-0.73) for daily intake of >/=10 g fresh mushrooms and >/=4 g dried mushrooms, based on multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for established and potential confounders. There were dose-response relationships with significant tests for trend (p < 0.001). The inverse association was found in both pre- and postmenopausal women. Compared with those who consumed neither mushrooms nor green tea, the ORs were 0.11 (0.06-0.20) and 0.18 (0.11-0.29) for daily high intake of fresh and dried mushrooms combined with consuming beverages made from >/=1.05 g dried green tea leaves per day"

Neat Tech Stuff:

• Google Font Generator - Click here to see the karaoke cover I made with this (.pdf format).
• Professional Phone Greeting - I got one for $50.  Click here to listen.  Yeah, I know I got carried away.
• Canon PowerShot SD770IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom - It's has Exceptional Face Detection Technology - "The result is portraits with natural skin tones, in all environments whether lit by artificial, natural, or mixed light sources. Face Select & Track follows a user-selected face around the frame, ensuring that the best results are achieved at the moment the photographer shoots"

More to Worry About:

• 12/2/08 Bi-partisan Report - Nuke or Biological Attack Likely by 2013 - 4:54
• Dying for A Drink - Time Magazine, 12/4/08 - "Some areas of the world will grow wetter as a result of climate change, but others will grow dryer, and so far the drying is winning. The area of the earth's land surface classified as very dry has doubled since the 1970s; by 2050, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believes, that trend will worsen. "You do the math, and it gets a little scary," ... In the past century, we treated water as if it were inexhaustible. But that illusion has dried up. The only way to thrive in a warmer, thirstier world will be to learn to get more out of less ... Watch CNN's award-winning series Planet in Peril: Battle Lines, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. EST, on CNN" - I've got it scheduled on TiVo.  I've been questioning for years where they are going to get the fresh water to grow the crops for biofuel.

Supplement Focus (N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)):

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) News & Research:

• n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com
• N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) - The Natural Pharmacist
• NAC: The Best Flu and Cold Remedy Yet? - thenutritionreporter.com
• N-Acetylcysteine Boosts Immunity, Reduces Flu Symptoms - thenutritionreporter.com
• Add-On Therapy Improves Depressive Symptoms In Bipolar Disorder - Science Daily, 9/2/08 - "sought to evaluate whether N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter supplement that increases brain glutathione, might help alleviate depressive symptoms ... Glutathione is the brain’s primary antioxidant defense, and there is evidence of increased oxidative stress in bipolar disorder. Therefore, we studied the potential benefit of NAC treatment in bipolar disorder and found that it impressively remedied residual depressive symptoms" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.
• Before A CT Scan Or Angiogram, Many People Should Take Inexpensive Drug To Protect Kidneys - Science Daily, 2/18/08 - "The inexpensive drug, called N-acetylcysteine, can prevent serious kidney damage that can be caused by the iodine-containing "dyes" that doctors use to enhance the quality of such scans ... N-acetylcysteine is already widely used to clear mucus in cystic fibrosis patients, and to treat overdoses of acetaminophen"
• Treatment With NAC Is Associated With Better Outcomes For Children With Liver Failure, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 1/3/08 - "The children who received NAC spent fewer days in intensive care, and in the hospital overall. 43 percent survived with their native liver, compared to 22 percent of children who did not receive NAC. And death rates while awaiting transplant, after transplant, and after ten years were notably lower in children who had received NAC"
• N-acetyl Cysteine May Aid in Treatment of Schizophrenia - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/07 - "The study showed that NAC improves certain symptoms of schizophrenia, and therefore implicated glutathione deficiency in the pathogenesis"
• Short-Course N-Acetylcysteine Effective for Acetaminophen Overdose - Medscape, 10/4/07 - "A shortened course of as few as six oral doses of N-acetylcysteine appears to be an effective treatment for certain patients with acute acetaminophen poisoning"
• Health Food Supplement May Curb Addiction Of Pathological Gamblers - Science Daily, 9/11/07
• How Vitamin C Stops Cancer - Science Daily, 9/10/07 - "Both of these cancers produce high levels of free radicals that can be suppressed by feeding the mice supplements of antioxidants, either vitamin C or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) ... Some rapidly growing tumors consume enough energy to easily suck out the available oxygen in their vicinity, making HIF-1 absolutely critical for their continued survival. But HIF-1 can only operate if it has a supply of free radicals. Antioxidants remove these free radicals and stop HIF-1, and the tumor, in its tracks" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• One Type Of Antioxidant May Not Be As Safe As Once Thought - Science Daily, 9/4/07 - "The research team administered both NAC and nitrosothiols to mice for three weeks. The NAC was converted by red blood cells into the nitrosothiol, S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNOAC). The normal mice that received NAC and SNOAC developed PAH. Mice missing an enzyme known as endothelial nitric oxide synthase did not convert NAC to SNOAC, and were protected from the adverse effects of NAC, but not SNOAC. This suggests that NAC must be converted to SNOAC to cause PAH ... Could regular use of NAC produce the same effects in humans? The next step is to determine a threshold past which antioxidant use becomes detrimental to heart or lung function"
• N-Acetylcysteine May Reduce Cocaine Craving - Medscape, 7/26/07
• Cysteine Containing Chewing Gum For The Prevention Of Upper Digestive Tract Cancers? - Science Daily, 5/22/06
• Intravenous N-Acetylcysteine During Haemodialysis Reduces the Plasma Concentration of Homocysteine in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease - Medscape, 5/16/06
• Addiction: Supplement May Stifle the Craving for Cocaine - New York Times, 12/20/05
• Acetylcysteine May Be Helpful for Pulmonary Fibrosis - Medscape, 11/23/05
• High Dose N--Acetylcysteine in Patients with COPD - Medscape, 7/18/05
• Antioxidant, B vitamin Combo to slow dementia? - Nutra USA, 12/6/04 - "the glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is not only a potent antioxidant but also a source of cysteine. Cysteine is required to generate hydrogen sulphide - an important neuromodulator and vasorelaxant. Levels of hydrogen sulphide levels are severely decreased in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients"
• No Difference between N-Acetylcysteine and Fenoldopam for Thwarting Contrast-Induced Nephropathy - Doctor's Guide, 11/8/04 - "A randomized study failed to show a significant difference in the ability of oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and intravenous fenoldopam (FEN) to prevent the deterioration in renal function"
• NAC supplement for brain damage in boys - Nutra USA, 5/4/04 - "Because it enhances the production of the enzyme glutathione, NAC is thought to both stave off disease and play an important role in boosting the immune system"
• N-Acetylcysteine Beneficial for Chronic Lung Disease - Healthwell Exchange Daily News, 10/2/03
• Pre-treatment With Acetylcysteine For Cardiac Catheterisation Reduces Contrast-Induced Nephropathy - Doctor's Guide, 12/5/03
• Thiol-Containing Antioxidant Shows Promise in Preventing Contrast Nephropathy - Doctor's Guide, 8/25/03 - "Treatment with acetylcysteine, a thiol-containing antioxidant, shows promise in preventing contrast nephropathy in patients with chronic renal insufficiency"
• High Cysteine Levels Linked to Lower Rates of Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 7/15/03 - "Women in the highest quintile for measured cysteine levels in this study had a 56% lower risk of invasive or in situ breast cancer than women in the lowest quintile ... The findings were more pronounced when only invasive cancer was considered ... Cysteine or its precursors might have the potential to be chemoprotective against breast cancer"
• N-Acetyl Cysteine Prevents Kidney Damage from Coronary Procedure - New Hope Natural Media, 5/1/03 - "Up to 15% of people undergoing coronary angiography may experience kidney damage from the contrast dye ... randomly assigned to receive either 600 mg of oral NAC twice a day on the day before and the day of the procedure or a similar looking placebo ... Only 4% of those taking NAC, compared with 12% of those taking the placebo, experienced a 25% increase in blood creatinine within 48 hours of receiving the contrast dye"
• Cardiovascular End Points Reduced With Antioxidant Acetylcysteine In Haemodialysis Patients - Doctor's Guide, 2/28/03 - "They were assigned to receive either acetylcysteine 600 mg twice daily or a placebo ... Primary end point was a composite variable composed of cardiac events that included fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction, death from cardiovascular disease, necessity for either coronary angioplasty or by-pass surgery, ischaemic stroke, peripheral vascular disease requiring amputation or need for angioplasty ... A primary end point was established in 18 of the 64 [28%] haemodialysed patients who received acetylcysteine, and 33 of 70 [47%] patients undergoing haemodialysis assigned to the control group" - [Abstract]
• N-Acetyl Cysteine Improves Insulin Resistance in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - New Hope Natural Media, 12/12/02 - "PCOS ... affects up to 10% of all women of reproductive age ... characterized by enlargement of the ovaries, irregular menstrual cycle, failure to ovulate, obesity, high levels of insulin in the blood and insulin resistance, excessive hair growth (due to increased testosterone) and infertility. More than 50% of all women with PCOS have high insulin levels, which may be a risk factor for diabetes, high blood pressure, blood clots and heart disease ... Women with high initial insulin levels who took NAC had a significant reduction in insulin levels following the glucose tolerance test and also showed improved insulin sensitivity"
• Acetylcysteine Can Reduce Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Endstage Renal Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/1/02 - "therapy with acetylcysteine appears to significantly reduce cardiovascular events among haemodialysis patients" - See iHerb and Vitacost acetyl-l-cysteine products.
• N-Acetylcysteine Helpful for Eye Disorder - New Hope Natural Media, 9/26/02
• Getting More Glutathione? - Dr. Weil, 8/29/02 - "To my knowledge, the only supplement that effectively raises glutathione levels in the body is N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). My colleague Kathleen Johnson, a dietician here at the Program in Integrative Medicine, tells me that other glutathione supplements are ineffective because they’re digested before they can get into the bloodstream"
• Putting Antioxidants To Use In Functional Formulas - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 5/02 - "N-acetylcysteine (NAC), like alpha-lipoic acid, is a potential antioxidant and precursor to glutathione. However, NAC is also a powerful immune stimulant. For example, an Italian study of 262 elderly subjects found that 600mg NAC, taken twice daily, reduced flu symptoms by two-thirds.18 Large dosages of NAC—up to several grams daily—can extend the life expectancy of patients with AIDS,19 and some research suggests that it may also reduce the risk of cancer"
• Acetylcysteine Prevents Renal Problems After Angiography - Doctor's Guide, 3/18/02 - "Changes in creatinine mean values after 48 hours were -0.4 (+/-0.3) and +0.1 (+/-0.3) mg/dL for treatment and control groups, respectively (p<0.001). The benefit was larger in patients with baseline creatinine levels higher than 2 mg/dL, at -0.4 (+/-0.4) compared to +0.5 (+/-0.3) mg/dL (p<0.001)"
• Antioxidant Boosts Cognitive Function In Alzheimer's Patients - Intelihealth, 11/15/01 - "the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may improve certain cognitive skills in people with Alzheimer's disease ... Although participants in the NAC group did not outperform placebo patients in day-to-day activities, they did fare significantly better than the placebo group on certain cognitive tests"
• N-acetylcysteine Improves Blood Vessels - Nutrition Science News, 5/01 - "Researchers suspect this is because NAC enhances the bioavailability of the relaxing substance nitric oxide, but because nitric oxide has a short half-life and cannot be measured by current methodology, they were unable to determine this directly. In addition, NAC may act as an antioxidant that protects nitric oxide destruction"
• Glutathione: The Eye Healer Within - Nutrition Science News, 4/01 - "Supplementing with glutathione to boost glutathione levels is not well understood. Glutathione is a large molecule that is not easily absorbed, but it is a tripeptide with cysteine—a sulfur-bearing amino acid—in the middle. As cysteine is broken down in the digestive tract, its sulfur is absorbed and utilized to make more glutathione"
• Can Cirrhosis be Prevented? - Nutrition Science News, 1/99

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) Abstracts:

• Effect of alpha-tocopherol, N-acetylcysteine and omeprazole on esophageal adenocarcinoma formation in a rat surgical model - Int J Cancer. 2008 Oct 20 - "oxidative stress subsequent to gastroesophageal reflux is an important driving force of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) formation in the esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) rat model. This study investigated the possible tumor inhibitory effects of 2 antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol (389 and 778 ppm), N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 500 and 1,000 ppm), and their combination (389 and 500 ppm, respectively), as well as an antacid therapeutic agent, omeprazole (1,400 ppm) ... alpha-Tocopherol dose-dependently decreased the incidence of EAC (p = 0.03), with 778 ppm alpha-tocopherol reducing the incidence of EAC to 59% (16/27) in comparison with 84% (26/31) in the control group (p = 0.04). Supplementation of alpha-tocopherol also increased the serum concentration of alpha-tocopherol. NAC at 500 and 1,000 ppm did not significantly decrease EAC incidence; however, the combination of alpha-tocopherol 389 ppm and NAC 500 ppm significantly reduced the incidence of EAC to 55% (15/27) (p = 0.02). alpha-Tocopherol alone or in combination with NAC significantly reduced the number of infiltrating cells positively stained for 4-hydroxynonenal. Omeprazole showed only a slight nonsignificant inhibitory effect at the dose given"
• Efficacy of a Vitamin/Nutriceutical Formulation for Early-stage Alzheimer's Disease: A 1-Year, Open-Label Pilot Study With an 16-Month Caregiver Extension - Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Dec 1 - "We examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate, vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14 community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests (Clox 1 and 2). Family caregivers reported improvement in multiple domains of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and maintenance of performance in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Sustained performance was reported by caregivers for those participants who continued in an 16-month extension. Performance on the NPI was equivalent to published findings at 3 to 6 months for donepezil and exceeded that of galantamine and their historical placebos. Participants demonstrated superior performance for more than 12 months in NPI and ADL versus those receiving naproxen and rofecoxib or their placebo group. This formulation holds promise for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease prior to and/or as a supplement for pharmacological approaches"
• N-Acetylcysteine prevents ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity in rats - Br J Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 18 - "NAC markedly reduces the severity of renal dysfunction induced by ifosfamide with a significant decrease in elevations of serum creatinine (57.8+/-2.3 vs 45.25+/-2.1 mumol l(-1)) as well as a reduced elevation of beta(2)-microglobulin excretion (25.44+/-3.3 vs 8.83+/-1.3 nmol l(-1)) and magnesium excretion (19.5+/-1.5 vs 11.16+/-1.5 mmol l(-1)). Moreover, NAC significantly improved the ifosfamide-induced glutathione depletion and the decrease of glutathione S-transferase activity, lowered the elevation of lipid peroxides and prevented typical morphological damages in renal tubules and glomeruli" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.
• Long Term N-Acetylcysteine and L-Arginine Administration Reduces Endothelial Activation and Systolic Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Diabetes Care. 2008 Feb 11 - "The NAC+ARG administration seems to be a potential well-tolerated antiatherogenic therapy since it improves the endothelial function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes by improving NO bioavailability via reduction of the oxidative stress and increase of NO production. Our study's results give prominence to its potential use in the primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention in these patients"
• N-acetylcysteine for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study - Eur Heart J. 2008 Feb 8 - "The result of this study indicates that NAC treatment decreases the incidence of postoperative AF" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.
• Effects of folic acid and N-acetylcysteine on plasma homocysteine levels and endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease - Acta Cardiol. 2007 Dec;62(6):579-85 - "either folic acid 5 mg or NAC 600 mg or placebo daily for eight weeks ... endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) ... Folic acid and NAC therapies decreased plasma homocysteine (from 21.7 +/- 8.7 micromol/l to 12.5 +/- 2.5 micromol/l, P < 0.001; from 20.9 +/- 7.6 micromol/l to 15.6 +/- 4.3 micromol/l, P = 0.03, respectively), and increased EDD (6.7 +/- 6.1% P = 0.002, 4.4 +/- 2.6% P < 0.001, respectively) compared with placebo. There was no significant difference in improving EDD between the folic acid and the NAC group"
• Telmisartan, an Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker, Inhibits Advanced Glycation End-product (AGE)-induced Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Expression in Mesangial Cells Through Downregulation of Receptor for AGEs via Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma Activation - J Int Med Res. 2007 Jul-Aug;35(4):482-9 - "Candesartan, an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker, did not suppress AGEs-induced superoxide generation. Telmisartan and the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, completely inhibited AGEs-induced MCP-1 overproduction by mesangial cells"
• Acetylcysteine for Prevention of Acute Deterioration of Renal Function Following Elective Coronary Angiography and Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial - JAMA, 2/5/03 - "Acetylcysteine protects patients with moderate chronic renal insufficiency from contrast-induced deterioration in renal function after coronary angiographic procedures, with minimal adverse effects and at a low cost" - See iHerb or Vitacost acetyl-l-cysteine products.