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Hairspray may be Linked to Common Birth Defect

New research suggests that pregnant mothers who are exposed to hairspray at work may be more likely to have boys with a common genital defect called hypospadias. This condition occurs when the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the urethra instead of at the tip.

Researchers from Imperial College London, University College Cork and the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona interviewed mothers of 471 boys with hypospadias. They also interviewed the mothers of 490 randomly selected control infants. Participating mothers were asked various lifestyle questions about vegetarianism, folate supplements, smoking, parental age, education and household income. They were also asked about their jobs and whether they were exposed to substances such as hairspray, disinfectants, pesticides or plastic fumes.

The results, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, show that prenatal exposure to hairsprays more than doubled the risk of hypospadias. The authors suggest that this risk may be attributed to chemicals in hairspray called phthalates. Earlier studies suggest that phthalates may affect hormone levels and reproductive development.

In contrast, folate supplementation may have protective effects against hypospadias. The study showed that mothers who took folate supplements during the first trimester of pregnancy were 36 percent less likely to have boys with hypospadias than mothers who did not take these supplements.

Professor Paul Elliott, the corresponding author of the research from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London, said "Hypospadias is a condition that, if left untreated, can cause problems in later life. Although surgery to correct it is usually successful, any surgery will be traumatic for the child and his parents. It is encouraging that our study showed that taking folic acid supplements in pregnancy may reduce the risk of a child being born with the condition. Further research is needed to understand better why women exposed to hairspray at work in the first three months of pregnancy may have increased risk of giving birth to a boy with hypospadias."

For more information about chemical pollutants please visit Natural Standard's Environmental Resources database.

Webinar Forum: Natural Standard Database Overview

Today’s webinar, presented by Natural Standard Chief Editor Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, provided an in-depth look at Natural Standard’s database.

The research collaboration provides evidence-based, consensus-based and peer-reviewed monographs on a wide-range of health and wellness topics, including herbs, supplements and integrative modalities. With more than seven databases, information can easily be cross referenced, enabling clinicians, patients and healthcare institutions to make more informed and safer therapeutic decisions. A recording of this webinar is available at www.naturalstandard.com.

Ulbricht's webinar is one of many upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. The next webinar, An Innovative Program in Applied Natural Products, will be presented by Lana Dvorkin-Camiel, PharmD. Dvorkin-Camiel is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Natural Products Division Coordinator at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. To participate in her lecture, which will take place on December 2, 2008, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., please click here and call (616) 883-8055, access code 458-016-977. 

Natural Standard values the opinions and views of its readers and welcomes feedback and questions about the latest webinar event. Also, if you have any suggestions for future webinar topics, please leave a comment below or send an e-mail to questions@naturalstandard.com.

Purple Tomatoes Increased Lifespan of Cancer-Prone Mice

A new study suggests that tomatoes genetically altered to be rich in antioxidants may increase the life span in mice that are predisposed to cancer. 

Using genes from the snapdragon flower, researchers in Europe modified tomatoes so they would contain high amounts of anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants commonly found in dark berries like blackberries and blueberries. The new genes also caused the tomatoes to become purple in the process.

Anthocyanins have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and age-related degenerative diseases. However, many of the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables may not contain enough anthocyanins to gain health benefits. 

Mice genetically altered to be prone to cancer ate diets rich in the purple tomatoes or a standard diet with or without normal tomatoes. Those that ate the purple tomatoes lived significantly longer (182 days on average) than mice that ate standard diets (142 days on average). 

Although the findings, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, are promising, more studies are needed to confirm these results. 

Tomatoes naturally contain high levels of other antioxidants called lycopene and flavonoids. Lycopene is most abundant in highly processed tomatoes. Also, cooking tomatoes in oil helps the fruit release more lycopene. Flavonoids can be water soluble and fat soluble, so eating foods with water or fat is thought to increase the beneficial effects of these antioxidants. 

For more information about tomatoes and their antioxidants, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Foods, Herbs & Supplements database. For more information about genetically modified foods, please visit Natural Standard's Genomics & Proteomics database.

Obesity Linked to Less Satisfaction while Eating

A new study found that some people may be predisposed to obesity because the rewards centers in their brains do not respond as well as the average person. In order to boost their satisfaction from eating, they may overindulge or choose high-calorie foods, causing them to gain more weight.

When a person eats, the brain releases a brain chemical called dopamine, which is involved in the brain’s reward pathways. Dopamine causes pleasurable feelings during eating.

In the study, 43 women (aged 18-22 and 33) and 33 teenage girls (aged 14-18) consumed a chocolate milkshake and then a tasteless solution. While they drank each beverage, the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine the activity in the dorsal striatum, part of the brain that expresses dopamine receptors.

The authors also tested the participants to determine which people had the TaqIA gene. People with this gene often have fewer dopamine receptors than average.

Then the researchers followed the participants for 12 months and recorded changes in their body mass indexes (BMIs).

The authors found that having less active striata was linked to an increased risk of becoming overweight, especially if they had the TaqIA gene.

For more information about obesity, please visit Natural Standard’s Medical Conditions database.

FDA Proposes Guidelines For Genetically Engineered Animals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released proposed guidelines for how it would regulate genetically engineered (GE) animals to ensure that they are safe for humans and the environment.

 

Scientists produce GE animals by combining genes from different organisms to enhance their traits. Although GE animals have been produced and studied in laboratories for many years, meat from GE animals is not available for consumption in the United States. The FDA's proposed guidelines focus on animals that would be used as foods or whose blood or milk would be used to make medications.

The FDA plans to work with agencies in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal departments and agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the industry and develop coherent policies.

 

According to the guidelines, producers of GE animals that are intended for food use will need to prove to that their products are safe to eat. The FDA also plans to assess any potential environmental impacts of GE animals.

 

The FDA does not plan to require GE animal products to bear labels indicating that they are genetically modified. Similarly, foods from GE plants dos not have to be labeled. However, labeling may be required if the GE animal if different from its non-engineered counterpart, for instance, if there was a change in its nutritional profile.

 

Although GE animal products are not on the market yet, GE produce has been sold for many years. According to the FDA and USDA, there are more than 40 genetically modified plants that have completed all of the federal requirements to be sold in the United States. Genetic engineering is commonly used in agriculture to improve resistance to diseases, pests and herbicides. It has also been used to improve taste and quality, reduce maturation time, increase nutrition and increase tolerance to extreme temperatures.

The public has the opportunity to comment on the proposed guidelines, entitled "The Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals Containing Heritable rDNA Constructs," until November 18, 2008.

"This is a cutting-edge technology that has significant implications, including real benefits, not just for human health, but also for animal health, such as developing disease-resistant animals," said Center for Veterinary Medicine Director Bernadette Dunham. "We look forward to the public comments to help refine our thinking and approach."

 

For more information about genetically modified foods, please visit Natural Standard's Genomics & Proteomics database.

Protein that Produces "Good" Fat Identified

A pair of studies has made discoveries about the way mammals make and use different types of fat that may one day lead to new treatments for obesity.

Although many people would prefer to have less fat, healthy levels of fat are needed to help regulate metabolism and keep the body warm. There are two main types of fat: white ("bad") fat and brown ("good") fat. White fat is much more common. It stores extra energy and contributes to obesity. Brown fat, on the other hand, burns calories by generating heat. Newborn babies have the most brown fat, while adults are thought to have very little. However, brown fat precursors remain in the body during adulthood.

The first mouse study identified a bone-forming protein, called "bone morphogenic protein 7" or BMP7, which is known to stimulate brown fat development. The researchers found that mice genetically altered to have no BMP7 had less brown fat than non-altered mice. Also, mice treated with artificially high levels of BMP7 had more brown fat than untreated mice, and they burned more calories.

The second study traced the origin of brown fat cells in mice. They found that by turning on a protein, called PRDM16, they could encourage immature muscle cells (called myoblasts) to produce brown fat cells instead. The authors showed that, contrary to what many researchers previously thought, brown and white cells do not share similar origins.

The study results may help provide potential new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of obesity, according to the authors. For example, increasing brown fat cell production may help people burn more calories. However, rigorous research in humans is needed before the results can be translated to people because brown fat appears to function differently in mice.

TGFBR1 gene Increases Risk of Colon Cancer

Researchers have identified a genetic abnormality that makes a person about nine times more likely to develop colorectal cancer.

Researchers studied 242 people in central Ohio with colorectal cancer and 195 people who did not have the disease. The researchers found that people who had defective transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1) genes were 8.7 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who lacked the abnormality.

The TGFBR1 gene normally helps protect against cancer. People inherit two copies of this gene (one from their mother and one from their father), and they usually produce equal amounts of the RNA that is needed to make the TGFBR1 protein. But in some people, one of these two genes is less active than the other. According to the study, 10-21 percent of people with colorectal cancer and 1-3 percent of the general population have this genetic abnormality.

An estimated one million people develop colon cancer each year worldwide. It is the third-most-common cancer in the United States, with 149,000 new cases and 50,000 deaths from the disease expected this year.

Colon cancer is difficult to detect, particularly in the early stages of the disease, because it often does not cause symptoms. The authors of this study suggest that simple blood tests that look for the genetic mutation may help diagnose colon and rectal cancer early in the disease, when it is most treatable. 

However, the study results need to be confirmed in larger trials that include more diverse populations.

Gene Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction

Two new studies suggest that a type of gene therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the repeated inability to maintain an erection. An estimated 15 to 30 million (20-40 percent) of American men suffer from ED. For every 1,000 men between 40 and 69 years of age in the United States, 26 new cases of ED are diagnosed every year. Worldwide, ED affects over 150 million men.

Although ED is more common in men older than 65, it can occur at any age. An occasional episode happens to most men and is normal. But as men age, it is also normal to experience changes in erectile function. Erections may take longer to develop, may not be as rigid or may require more direct stimulation to be achieved. Men may also notice that orgasms are less intense, the volume of ejaculate is reduced and recovery time increases between erections.

ED may be a result of lifestyle choices, such as smoking, being overweight, eating unhealthy foods or avoiding exercise. It may also be psychological or result from physical conditions, such as diabetes, vascular disease, surgery or trauma, neurological conditions, hormone disorders and Peyronie's disease.

A wide variety of options exist for ED including psychological counseling, medications, mechanical devices and surgery. The cause and severity of the ED are important factors in determining the best treatment or combination of treatments for the individual. If ED is the result of a medical condition, the cost of treatment may be covered by insurance.

The researchers studied the effectiveness of a unique, locally-administered gene transfer technique for treating ED. The therapy consisted of a plasmid, or circular DNA construct, containing the gene for the Maxi-K protein.

This protein makes up the Maxi-K ion channel, which is a potassium channel; activation of this channel is critical for relaxing the vasculature and allowing an erection to take place.

The plasmid was designed to express Maxi-K in vascular smooth muscle cells and was injected into men with moderate to severe ED.

According to the study authors, human tests have primarily focused on safety. Animal tests have demonstrated that the therapy increases erectile function and other measures of sexual behavior.

The researchers suggested that men with ED could get the gene therapy treatment twice a year, based on human and animal research showing that the treatment lasts for up to six months.

They also observed that the gene therapy may work synergistically with drugs such as Viagra® and Cialis®, allowing patients to take lower doses of these medications.

The gene therapy appears safe; in humans no transfer-related adverse events were reported during two years of follow up. The study authors noted that unlike conventional oral therapies for ED, Maxi-K therapy does not require prior planning thereby enabling sexual spontaneity; also, it can be used by men taking heart medications.

The authors concluded that Maxi-K gene therapy may be a safe and effective future option for men whose ED is not treatable with oral therapy.

Some tips for preventing ED include limiting or avoiding the use of alcohol and other recreational drugs (marijuana, cocaine), quitting smoking, exercising regularly (at least 30 minutes daily), reducing stress, getting enough sleep (eight hours a night), dealing with anxiety or depression (through counseling and medication) and seeing a doctor for regular checkups and medical screening tests. Although it may be uneasy to talk about, ED is a treatable condition and should be discussed with a healthcare professional.