This study examined whether inositol in combination with melatonin improves oocyte quality, fertilization rate, and pregnancy rate compared to inositol alone in women undergoing in vitro fertilizaiton (IVF). Starting on the day of GnRH administration, 65 women undergoing IVF were randomized into two groups to receive either myo-inositol + folic acid + melatonin, or myo-inositol plus folic acid alone, administered continuously. The mean number of oocytes retrieved did not differ between the two groups (P=0.65). The group cotreated with melatonin had a significantly greater mean number of mature oocytes (P=0.047) and a lower mean number of immature oocytes (P=0.001). The mean number of high quality embyos was higher in the melatonin group (=0.01). Fertilization rates did not differ between the two groups, but the clinical pregnancy rate and implantation rate tended to be higher in the group cotreated with melatonin. There were a total of 22 pregnancies: 13 in the melatonin group and 9 in the control group; P=0.26). Biochemical pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate were similar in both groups. Melatonin augments the activity of myo-inositol and folic acid by improving oocyte quality and pregnancy outcome in women with a history of low oocyte quality. (Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2010 Jun;14(6):555-61.) PMID: 20712264.
Carnitine and liver function in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Steatohepatitis is characterized by abnormal liver lipid metabolism and altered mitochondrial function. Carnitine is an essential cofactor for mitochondrial beta oxidation of fatty acids. This study examined the effect of carnitine supplementation on liver function and peripheral blood mitochondria copy number in patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Forty-five NAFLD patients were assigned to a carnitine group or a control group. Liver function tests and analysis of peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA were performed before and following three months of treatment. Carnitine treatment was associated with reduction of ALT, AST, and total bilirubin. In comparison, there was no change in AST, ALT, and total bilirubin associated with treatment in the control group. Peripheral mitochondrial DNA copy number was significantly increased from 158.8+/- 69.5 copies to 241.6+/-180.6 copies (p=0.025) in the carnitine group, but not in the control group. Carnitine improved liver function and mitochondrial numbers in NAFLD. (Korean J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jun;55(6):384-9.) PMID: 20571306.
Vitamin B6 improves pro-inflammatory responses in rheumatoid arthritis
The effect of vitamin B6 on inflammation was investigated in randomized controlled trial of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 35 patients were randomly allocated to receive either 5 mg folic acid only, or 100 mg vitamin B6 plus 5 mg folic acid daily for 12 weeks. The following parameters were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks: Plasma pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP), serum folate, inflammatory parameters (hs-CRP, ESR, IL-6, TNF-alpha), and immune parameters (WBC count, total lymphocytes, T-cells (CD3), B-cells (CD19), T-helper cells (CD4), and T-suppressor cells(CD8)). In the vitamin B6 group, plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels significantly decreased at week 12. There were no significant changes with respect to immune responses in either group, except for the percentage of total lymphocytes in the vitamin B(6) group compared to baseline. Plasma IL-6 levels were significantly inversely related to plasma PLP after adjusting for confounders (P=0.01). High dose vitamin B6 suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha in patients with RA. (Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep;64(9):1007-13.) PMID: 20571496.
B-vitamins reduce risk of depression after stroke: The VITATOPS-DEP trial
The VITATOPS-DEP study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of daily folic acid (2 mg), vitamin B6 (25 mg), and vitamin B12 (0.5 mg) for 1 to 10.5 years in stroke survivors. The primary endpoint was the onset of major depression, as defined by the DSM-IV, after randomization. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of DSM-IV major or minor depression at the end of treatment. Among 273 people who completed the final assessment after 7.1 ± 2.1 years (mean ± standard deviation) of follow up, B-vitamins were associated with a significantly lower risk of major depression compared with placebo (18.4% vs 23.3%, adjusted hazard ratio 0.48, 95% CI 0.31-0.76). There was also a trend toward a lower risk of major or minor depression at the end of the trial compared with placebo (19.1% vs 27.7%; adjusted odds ratio 0.58; 95%CI 0.31-1.09). Long-term treatment of poststroke survivors with B-vitamin supplementation may be an effective, safe, and affordable intervention to reduce the burden of poststroke depression. (Ann Neurol. 2010 Oct;68(4):503-10.) PMID: 20976769.
Amino acid combination for sleep: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Gabadone is a proprietary combination of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), GABA and choline forumalated in low doses for effects on sleep. Secondary ingredients are: grape seed extract, hydrolyzed whey protein, valerian extract, ginkgo biloba, glutamic acid, and cocoa. This study sought to investigate the combination’s effect on sleep parameters. Eighteen patients with sleep disorders received 2 capsules of Gabadone or placebo at bedtime for 1 week. In the active group, the baseline time to fall asleep was 32.3 minutes, which was reduced to 19.1 after Gabadone (P = 0.01 compared to baseline, and p=0.02 compared to placebo which showed no significant improvement). In the active group, the baseline duration of sleep was 5.0 hours, and this increased to 6.83 hours after Gabadone (P = 0.01), while there was no significant change in the placebo group (p=0.01 between groups). Objective measurement of parasympathetic function as measured by 24-hour heart rate variability also improved in the active group compared with placebo. An amino acid preparation containing both GABA and 5-hydroxytryptophan reduced time to fall asleep, decreased sleep latency, increased the duration of sleep, and improved quality of sleep. (Am J Ther. 2010 Mar-Apr;17(2):133-9.) PMID: 19417589
Inhibitory effect of soy isoflavones and curcumin on prostate-specific antigen
Elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reflects the presence of inflammation in the prostate, predisposing to prostate cancer. Normalization of the PSA value may prevent the development of prostate cancer. This randomized controlled trial investigated whether a combination of isoflavones and curcumin is able to lower PSA. 85 men who had received prostate biopsies but were free of prostate cancer were assigned to receive a supplement containing soy isoflavones (40mg) and curcumin (100mg) or placebo for 6 months. In the overall population there was no significant effects between the isoflavone/ curcumin combination and placebo. However, among the group of patients who had PSA >or= 10 mcg/ml at baseline and were treated with the isoflavone/ curcumin combination, PSA levels decreased significantly from 18.8 to 10.2 mcg/ml (P = 0.01). In vitro results also showed that this combination synergistically downregulated androgen receptor expression and PSA production in prostate cancer cells. Soy isoflavones and curcumin are capable of decreasing elevated PSA in humans and synergistically exert anticancer effects in prostate cancer cells. (Prostate. 2010 Jul 1;70(10):1127-33.) PMID: 20503397
Korean red ginseng for sexual arousal in menopausal women
Korean ginseng has traditionally been used to improve male sexual function and fertility. Animal studies have also shown that Korean red ginseng (KRG) has a relaxing effect on the clitoral cavernosal muscle and vaginal smooth muscle, but this has not been examined in women. This study assessed whether KRG extract would improve sexual function in menopausal women. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover clinical study, 32 menopausal women received 3g ginseng per day or placebo for 8 weeks. After a 2-week wash out period, participants were crossed over to the other arm. Outcome measures were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Global Assessment Questionnaire (GAQ). Korean Red Ginseng significantly improved scores for sexual arousal (P = 0.006) on FSFI, and global symptoms on GAQ (P = 0.046) compared to placebo. There were no severe adverse events, but there were two cases of vaginal bleeding that occurred during KRG treatment. Korean ginseng might be used to improve sexual function in menopausal women. (J Sex Med. 2010 Apr;7(4 Pt 1):1469-77.) PMID: 20141583
Melatonin normalizes pro-inflammatory cytokines in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal disorder caused by the genetic absence of dystrophin. Oxidative stress and inflammation are directly involved in the progression of the disease. Ten patients with DMD were treated with 60 mg melatonin at 9pm plus 10 mg at 9am daily for 9 months. Plasma levels of 1) inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma; 2) markers of oxidative stress: lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitrites (NO(x)); and 3) plasma markers of muscle injury, were measured after 3, 6 and 9 months of treatment. Healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were used as controls. At baseline, DMD patients had elevated levels of LPO, NO(x), and cytokines compared with healthy controls. Melatonin administration reduced these values to control levels at 3 months of treatment, and decreased them further after 9 months. Melatonin also reduced plasma levels of creatine kinase (50%), lactate dehydrogenase (28%), aspartate aminotransferase (28%), alanine aminotransferase (20%), and myoglobin (13%). Melatonin administration reduced the oxidative and inflammatory process in DMD patients, and reduced markers of the muscle degenerative process. (J Pineal Res. 2010 Apr;48(3):282-9.) PMID: 20210854
Enteric-coated peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome
Peppermint is a herb with spasmolytic, carminitive properties; the active constituent, menthol, has been shown to relax smooth muscle by blocking Ca2+ channels in the gut. This was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 90 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Subjects took one enteric coated capsule containing 0.2 ml of peppermint oil (Colpermin) or placebo three times daily 30 minutes before each meal for 8 weeks. Patients’ symptoms and quality of life were assessed after the first, fourth, and eighth weeks. The number of patients who were free from abdominal pain or discomfort changed 0 at baseline to 14 (42.5%) at week 8 in the peppermint oil group, compared to from 0 to 6 (22.2%) in the control group (P < 0.001). The severity of abdominal pain was also significantly reduced in the peppermint oil group as compared to controls (p<0.001). Peppermint oil significantly improved patients’ quality of life. There were no significant adverse reactions. The peppermint oil preparation Colpermin is safe and effective in reducing abdominal pain or discomfort in patients with IBS. (Dig Dis Sci. 2010 May;55(5):1385-90.) PMID: 19507027
Exercise pioneer Jack LaLanne dies at 96
The fitness fanatic ate well and exercised — and made it his mission to make sure everyone did the same — right up to the end at age 96, friends and family said. LaLanne died January 23, 2011 at his home in Morro Bay on California’s central coast. The cause was respiratory failure due to pneumonia. LaLanne credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform others’ lives, too. “The only way you can hurt the body is not use it,” LaLanne said. “Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it’s never too late.” He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel. He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne.
