Saturday, September 30, 2006
beste Cor (melanine)
Links: De pijnappel klier (pineal gland of glandula pinealis)
Beste Cor.
De pijnappelklier (glandula pinealis) bij kippen is een direct foto-sensitief orgaan. Licht remt de synthese van melatonine door de pijnappelklier af.
De synthese van LH en FSH komt bij zoogdieren tot stand door afscheiding van zogenaamd gonadotropic releasing hormon (GNRH), dat via het portale bloed in de hypofyse komt. Het GNRH is een soort neurotransmitter die in de hypothalamus gevormd wordt onder invloed van impulsen uit de hersenen. Als je zeugen hebt die niet berig willen worden en je brengt wat berenmest in hun hok, dan wordt via het reukorgaan de hypothalamus geprikkeld (feromonen) en wordt GNRH op de zenuw-uiteinden gesynthetiseerd. Het GNRH komt rechtstreeks via het bloed in de hypofyse (pars glandularis) en vervolgens wordt FSH afgescheiden dat de follikels op de eierstokken doet rijpen. Na vorming van voldoende Oestrogenen, door de follikelwand, barst de follikel onder invloed van een LH piek.
Bij kippen zijn er drie verschillende soorten GNRH. Het GNRH 1 zou voor de afscheiding van LH zorgen. Of er ook een soort GNRH is dat zorgt voor de afscheiding van FSH is niet met zekerheid bekend. Wel wordt verondersteld dat GNRH 3 van invloed zou zijn op de vorming van FSH.Bij minder licht wordt er minder FSH bij kippen gevormd en het gevolg is dat ze minder gaan leggen. Het melatonine induceert hypothalamus zenuwcellen tot afscheiding van GnIH (gonadotropic inhibiting hormon), dat er voor zorgt dat er minder gonadotrope hormonen worden gesynthetiseerd. Dus meer licht remt melatonine afscheiding door de pijnappelklier en door minder melatonine wordt er minder GnIH gevormd en gaat er als het ware de handrem af zodat GNRH meer aan bod komt, met gevolg meer FSH en meer eieren.
LH en FSH worden bij kippen door geheel verschillende cellen geproduceerd en deze hormonen worden onafhankelijk van elkaar gesynthetiseerd, dat doet vermoeden dat ze wellicht ook op verschillende wijze worden beïnvloed.
Jaren geleden waren vooral de witte legkippen zo sterk gefokt op het leggen van eieren dat er nare bijverschijnselen kwamen. Een ervan was zogenaamde avian hysteria, waarbij de kippen zo schrikachtig werden dat ze constant door het hok vlogen en bij gevolg van de leg af gingen. Het anti-emeticum metoclopramide een dopamine receptor antagonist ( a sedative hypnotic agent), maakt de kippen depressief denk ik en ze worden er lusteloos van. Het gevolg was dat de schrikachtigheid verdween. Zelf heb ik in de vijftiger jaren wel reserpine aan deze kippen gegeven, omdat dat toen ook bij kalkoenen als tranquillizer gebruikt werd en de moderne middelen nog niet voorhanden waren. Reserpine werd in 1952 voor het eerst gebruikt. In hoeverre je bij kippen van een depressie kunt spreken weet ik niet. Agressie en angst zijn in ieder geval duidelijk aantoonbaar. Maar die vinden hun neurogene basis in het Limbische systeem, dat veel basaler is dan de meer cognitieve symptomen, waarvan depressie wellicht een voorbeeld is en dat meer door de neocortex wordt gereguleerd.
Bij kalkoenen kwam het verschijnsel aortic rupture vaak voor. Als er iets onverwacht gebeurde, bijvoorbeeld de vrouw van de boer kwam in het hok met een rode opzichtige jurk, vielen er plotseling enkele kalkoenen dood door breuk van de aorta. Op de duur konden zo wel 20 % van de dieren hun eindbestemming niet halen. Men gaf de kalkoenen wel reserpine, een tranquillizer met tevens bloeddruk verlagende eigenschappen. Later gaf men wel hydralazine, een bloeddruk verlagend therapeuticum. Ik denk dat het probleem tegenwoordig door foktechnische maatregelen praktisch is verdwenen.
P.S. Met hannie gaat het steeds de goede kant op, dank zij de goede zorgen van de Radboud. Ik hoop dat je iets hebt aan mijn verhaaltje. Groeten JAN.
Friday, September 29, 2006
MAGNESIUM
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Magnesium:
A Key to Calcium Absorption
By Nan Kathryn Fuchs, Ph.D.
Dr. Fuchs is a nutritional consultant in private practice in Santa Monica, CA, and is author of "The Nutrition Detective."
One of the most popular minerals in the news today is calcium, needed for strong bones and teeth. We are told to take increased amounts in our diet as a supplement to prevent osteoporosis and eliminate muscle cramping during menstruation or from over-exercising. Yet, calcium alone is often not enough. Without magnesium, calcium may be not fully utilized, and underabsorption problems may occur leading to arthritis, osteoporosis, menstrual cramps, and some premenstrual symptoms.
Perhaps the single most significant reason calcium malabsorption is so common today is due to a discrepancy between what we eat and how we digest and absorb the nutrients in our food. Our diets today are very different from those of our ancestors though our bodies remain similar.
Thousands of years ago, our ancestors ate foods high in magnesium and low in calcium. Because calcium supplies were scarce and the need for this vital mineral was great, it was effectively stored by the body. Magnesium, on the other hand, was abundant and readily available, in the form of nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables, and did not need to be stored internally.
Our bodies still retain calcium and not magnesium although we tend to eat much more dairy than our ancestors. In addition, our sugar and alcohol consumption is higher than theirs, and both sugar and alcohol increase magnesium excretion through the urine. Our grains, originally high in magnesium, have been refined, which means that the nutrient is lost in the refining process. The quality of our soil has deteriorated as well, due to the use of fertilizers that contain large amounts of potassium a magnesium antagonist. This results in foods lower in magnesium than ever before.
ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS
Two major health problems, arthritis and osteoporosis, may be caused in part by a magnesium deficiency. When you look at how calcium is absorbed these problems become easier to understand, and often can be controlled through diet.
Magnesium is needed for calcium absorption. Without enough magnesium, calcium can collect in the soft tissues and cause one type of arthritis. Not only does calcium collect in the soft tissues of arthritics, it is poorly, if at all, absorbed into their blood and bones. But taking more calcium is not the answer; it only amplifies the problem. In fact, excessive calcium intake and insufficient magnesium can contribute to both of these diseases. Magnesium taken in proper dosages can solve the problem of calcium deficiency.
When calcium is elevated in the blood it stimulates the secretion of a hormone called calcitonin and suppresses the secretion of the parathyroid hormone (PTH). These hormones regulate the levels of calcium in our bones and soft tissues and are, therefore, directly related to both osteoporosis and arthritis. PTH draws calcium out of the bones and deposits it in the soft tissues, while calcitonin increases calcium in our bones and keeps it from being absorbed in our soft tissues. Sufficient amounts of magnesium determine this delicate and important balance.
Because magnesium suppresses PTH and stimulates calcitonin it helps put calcium into our bones, preventing osteoporosis, and helps remove it from our soft tissues eliminating some forms of arthritis. A magnesium deficiency will prevent this chemical action from taking place in our bodies, and no amount of calcium can correct it. While magnesium helps our body absorb and retain calcium, too much calcium prevents magnesium from being absorbed. So taking large amounts of calcium without adequate magnesium may either create malabsorption or a magnesium deficiency. Whichever occurs, only magnesium can break the cycle.
In experiments reported in "International Clinical Nutrition Review," a number of volunteers on a low-magnesium diet were given both calcium and vitamin D supplements. AU the subjects were magnesium-depleted and although they had been given adequate supplements, all but one became deficient in calcium. When they were given calcium intravenously, the level of calcium in their blood rose, but only for the duration of the intravenous feeding. As soon as the intravenous calcium was stopped, the levels calcium in the blood dropped. However, when magnesium was given, their magnesium levels rose and stabilized rapidly, and calcium levels also rose within a few days - although no additional calcium had been taken.
Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D., a research gynecologist and endocrinologist in premenstrual syndrome and osteoporosis has found strong evidence to suggest that women with osteoporosis have a deficiency of a chemical that is made when they take twice as much magnesium as calcium. In fact, he has found that when calcium intake is decreased, it is utilized better than when it is high. Dr. Abraham is one of many doctors and biochemists who advocate taking more magnesium to correct calcium-deficiency diseases.
A magnesium-rich diet can be helpful both for arthritis and to help prevent osteoporosis. This consists of nuts, whole grains such as brown rice, millet, buckwheat (kasha), whole wheat, triticate, and rye, and legumes including lentils, split peas, and a varieties of beans. A whole grain cereal or bread in the morning, a cup of bean soup at lunch, a snack of a few nuts, and serving of brown rice, millet, or buckwheat with dinner should help increase magnesium when a deficiency is suspected.
At the same time, refined sugar and alcohol should be reduced, and eliminated when possible to prevent magnesium from being excreted in large quantities in the urine. You may also want to re-evaluate the amount of dairy in your diet. If it has been disproportionately high, reduce or temporarily eliminate it until some of your symptoms are alleviated, or until you feel more of a balance has been achieved through the inclusion of whole grains and legumes. Oriental and Indian diets contain little or no dairy, yet arthritis and osteoporosis are not major health problems in these cultures. Their foods consist primarily of green vegetables, grains, tofu, and seafood, and are twice as high in magnesium as our average diets.
Calcium causes muscles to contract, while magnesium helps them relax. When calcium is taken for menstrual cramps it knocks magnesium out of the cells and makes it more available for immediate use. However, it depletes the body of magnesium and ensures that the problem will recur the following month unless sufficient magnesium is added to the diet. Taking calcium gives temporary relief of menstrual cramps.
A diet high in dairy and low in whole grains can lead to excess calcium in the tissues and a magnesium deficiency. The source of menstrual cramps may be coming from eating too much cheese, yogurt, ice cream or milk, combined with insufficient whole grains and beans. Or it could come from taking too much calcium without enough magnesium. Modifying your diet and increasing your magnesium supplementation may allow your menstrual cramps to disappear.
Premenstrual chocolate craving is a phenomenon that has puzzled a great many women who are not controlled by this overwhelming urge at other times of the month. Yet chocolate, which is highest in magnesium of all foods, is often a sign of magnesium deficiency. If your diet is high in calcium you may have poor calcium absorption as well. The answer is not to eat more chocolate, but to increase your magnesium by eating more whole grains, nuts, seafood, and green vegetables, and by increasing your magnesium supplements. Your chocolate cravings will vanish when you have enough magnesium in your diet.
According to Dr. Mildred Seelig, executive president of the American College of Nutrition, we need an average of 200 mg. more than we get from the average diet.
Foods highest in magnesium are nuts (especially almonds and cashews), whole grains, seafood, and legumes (including tofu). Eat more of these, while reducing sugar and alcohol, which increase magnesium excretion. Don't overlook one vitamin or mineral for another since all work together to supply you with the nutrients you need. And consult your nutritionally- oriented physician about all nutrients before trying them.
A balanced diet of fresh, whole foods is your best maintenance diet. But if you have been taking large amounts of calcium and ignoring magnesium you may want to reverse the proportions until you achieve a better balance. Sufficient magnesium may be your missing link.
This page was first uploaded to The Magnesium Web Site on November 22, 2002
http://www.mgwater.com/
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
glaucoma travatan Z
Alcon’s Travatan Z Solution Approved by FDA for Treatment of Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertensive Patients
FORT WORTH, Texas, September 21, 2006 - Alcon, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Travatan Z (travoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.004% for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, who are intolerant of or insufficiently responsive to other intraocular pressure lowering medications. Travatan Z is a new formulation that eliminates benzalkonium chloride (BAK) from Alcon’s existing Travatan solution and replaces BAK with Sofzia, a robust ionic buffered preservative system that is gentle to the ocular surface. Alcon developed this BAK-free version of Travatan because long-term use of topical solutions containing BAK may compromise the ocular surface and exacerbate conditions such as dry eye.
"Because almost 40 percent of glaucoma patients suffer from Ocular Surface Disease, Travatan Z is an advance in therapy which we believe will now enable doctors to address an unmet need of many glaucoma patients," said Kevin Buehler, Alcon’s senior vice president, United States and chief marketing officer.
FDA approval of Travatan Z solution was based on a double-masked, multi-center study which has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Glaucoma. The 690 adult patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were randomized to receive Travatan or Travatan Z. Travatan Z reduced IOP up to 8.5 mmHg on average demonstrating statistically equivalent IOP lowering efficacy to the original Travatan. Similar adverse events were noted in both groups.
"These data demonstrate that Travatan Z is equally effective in reducing intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients compared to Travatan with BAK," said Rick Lewis, M.D., Grutzmacher & Lewis, Inc., Sacramento, CA, and lead investigator of this study. "However, chronic use of Travatan Z is less likely to compromise the ocular surface, potentially reducing eye irritation in glaucoma patients also suffering from ocular sensitivities."
About Travatan and Travatan Z Solutions
Travatan and Travatan Z are both indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension who are intolerant of other intraocular pressure lowering medications or insufficiently responsive to another IOP lowering medication. These therapies are contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to travoprost or any other ingredient in these products.
About Glaucoma
Glaucoma, a group of diseases that can damage the eye’s optic nerve, is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. The onset of glaucoma often occurs with no symptoms, but if it remains untreated, gradual loss of peripheral vision may ensue. When diagnosed early, glaucoma can be treated with medicines, laser trabeculoplasty, conventional surgery, or a combination of therapeutic options. While remaining vision may be preserved through treatment, there is currently no cure for glaucoma and lost vision cannot be restored.
Source: Alcon, Inc.
OSTEOPOROSIS
Once-yearly Reclast demonstrates highly significant fracture risk reductions in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, new study showsFor the first time a once-yearly treatment is shown effective in significantly reducing the incidence of bone fracture across the most common osteoporotic fracture sites1 PHILADELPHIA, PA, September 16, 2006 -- New Phase III data presented for the first time demonstrated that the investigational treatment Reclast (zoledronic acid) 5 mg was highly effective in reducing the incidence of bone fracture in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis across the most common fracture sites - hip, spine and non-spine↓ - with sustained effect over three years.1 Further data demonstrated that postmenopausal osteoporosis patients currently taking oral alendronate can be directly switched to Reclast and maintain beneficial bone effects for a full 12 months after a single dose.2 These studies were presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) in Philadelphia. Postmenopausal osteoporosis (osteoporosis) is a serious condition affecting millions of women worldwide.3 An estimated one out of every two women over age 50 with osteoporosis will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in her lifetime.4 Of those women age 65 years or older who fracture a hip, 21% will die within one year.5 Reclast is the only once-yearly bisphosphonate treatment being studied for the treatment of osteoporosis. An interim analysis encompassing 99% of the data from the now completed three-year HORIZON Pivotal Fracture Trial showed that patients treated with Reclast experienced a 70% risk reduction in new spine fractures (p<0.0001) p="0.0032)"> In the study, the overall incidence of adverse events experienced with Reclast was comparable to placebo. The most common adverse events associated with Reclast were the following post-dose symptoms: fever, muscle pain, flu-like symptoms, headache, and bone pain, the majority of which occurred within the first three days following Reclast administration. The majority of these symptoms resolved within the first three days of the event onset. The incidence decreased markedly with subsequent doses of Reclast. Analysis of key safety parameters, including kidney and jaw safety, found Reclast to be comparable to placebo.1 "The efficacy and safety data show that for the first time women may have the option of a once yearly treatment for osteoporosis," stated Dr. Dennis Black, the study steering committee chair from University of California, San Francisco. "The results show that Reclast effectively protects women against fractures including those of the hip, which can be devastating." Additional Phase III data presented at the meeting from a study of 225 women with osteoporosis demonstrated that patients treated with weekly Fosamax therapy can directly switch to Reclast. In the study, the beneficial effects of alendronate on bone mineral density levels in postmenopausal women were maintained for 12 months after a single infusion of Reclast, and, at 12 months, bone mineral density values for patients randomized to receive Reclast were similar to bone mineral density values for patients randomized to continued treatment with alendronate, meeting the study’s primary endpoint. In patients taking Reclast, bone turnover remained within the normal pre-menopausal range at 12 months after an infusion.² The most common adverse events reported in this study were similar to those observed in the pivotal fracture trial.1,2,6 Furthermore, two separate studies of women being treated for osteoporosis have shown that a majority preferred a once-yearly infusion to a once-weekly pill.7,8 "We believe once-yearly Reclast may offer advantages for the millions of women suffering from osteoporosis and potentially provide the most comprehensive protection across the most common osteoporotic fracture sites," said James Shannon, MD, Global Head of Development at Novartis Pharma AG. Reclast In Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis: Study DesignsThe Health Outcomes and Reduced Incidence with Zoledronic acid Once yearly (HORIZON) Pivotal Fracture Trial is a multi-national, multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 7,736 women. The study evaluated the potential of a once-yearly infusion of Reclast to decrease the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Primary endpoints were incidence of new vertebral fractures and hip fractures at three years compared to placebo. All study participants received elemental calcium (1000 to 1500 mg per day) and vitamin D (400 to 1200 IU per day). The second Phase III Reclast study presented at ASBMR investigated the safety and efficacy of treating patients with Reclast who were previously taking Fosamax. This randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multi-center trial compared a single infusion of 5 mg Reclast vs. continuation of therapy with oral alendronate weekly for 52 weeks. The study included postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (n=225). The women must have been treated with Fosamax for at least one year prior to randomization. The primary endpoint of the study was percent change in lumbar spine bone mineral density from baseline to one year. About ReclastReclast is being studied worldwide in a series of multi-national and multi-center clinical trials program called HORIZON. This clinical development program studies a once-yearly dosing with Reclast for osteoporosis. It also includes studies in the prevention of clinical fractures following a hip fracture in men and women, male osteoporosis, corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis, prevention of osteoporosis, treatment of Paget’s disease of the bone, and the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta in children. Approximately 13,000 patients have participated in the ongoing HORIZON program in more than 400 trial centers worldwide. The HORIZON program is one of the most comprehensive drug evaluation programs ever undertaken in the area of metabolic bone diseases. Zoledronic acid 5mg, under the brand name Aclasta, has been approved in approximately 50 countries worldwide, including the EU and Canada, for the treatment of Paget’s disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an "approvable letter" for Reclast for the treatment of Paget’s disease of the bone in February 2006. The FDA requested additional data from the ongoing clinical trial program in osteoporosis. Novartis is working with the FDA to gain approval for this indication. Zoledronic acid, the active ingredient of Reclast, is also available under the brand name Zometa for use in other indications. About Postmenopausal OsteoporosisPostmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is a serious condition affecting millions of women worldwide. Osteoporosis currently affects an estimated 50.7 million people in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA and Japan.3 Incidence of hip fracture in women is projected to rise by 240% worldwide by 2050, as populations grow and age.9 References:
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