From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2008-10-23 18:24:31 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] P53 and diet (a study that might or might not affect choices)
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>, ferret-l@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
People will recall P53 mentioned before here. Work by a team headed=20
by Dr. Bob Wagner of Pitt found that in at least some U.S. ferret=20
lines there were genetic alterations which made this ineffective, not=20
good news.
Remember that grapes and raisins in high enough amounts are dangerous=20
to ferrets, cats and dogs due to acute kidney failure, that nuts can=20
easily cause life threatening GI blockages in ferrets, etc.
Still, perhaps there may be cause to get some apigenin into their=20
diets, especially if they are facing a malignancy. I wonder if this=20
is the mechanism of some herbal approaches at times used in=20
conjunction with standard therapies?
Press Release:
> How eating fruit and vegetables can improve cancer patients'=20
> response to chemotherapy
>
> UC Riverside study describes how naturally occurring apigenin=20
> facilitates the death of cancer cells
>
> RIVERSIDE, Calif. =96 The leading cause of death in all cancer=20
> patients continues to be the resistance of tumor cells to=20
> chemotherapy, a form of treatment in which chemicals are used to=20
> kill cells.
>
> Now a study by UC Riverside biochemists that focuses on cancer cells=20
> reports that ingesting apigenin =96 a naturally occurring dietary=20
> agent found in vegetables and fruit =96 improves cancer cells'=20
> response to chemotherapy.
>
> Xuan Liu, a professor of biochemistry, and Xin Cai, a postdoctoral=20
> researcher working in her lab, found that apigenin localizes tumor=20
> suppressor p53, a protein, in the cell nucleus =96 a necessary step=20
> for killing the cell that results in some tumor cells responding to=20
> chemotherapy.
>
> The study, published this week in the online early edition of the=20
> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a novel=20
> approach to conquer tumor resistance to chemotherapy, and suggests=20
> an avenue for developing safe chemotherapy via naturally occurring=20
> agents.
>
> Normally, cells have low levels of p53 diffused in their cytoplasm=20
> and nucleus. When DNA in the nucleus is damaged, p53 moves to the=20
> nucleus where it activates genes that stop cell growth and cause=20
> cell death. In this way, p53 ensures that cells with damaged DNA are=20
> killed.
>
> In many cancers, p53 is rendered inactive by a process called=20
> cytoplasmic sequestration. Apigenin is able to activate p53 and=20
> transport it into the nucleus, resulting in a stop to cell growth=20
> and cell death.
>
> "In therapy you want to kill cancer cells," explained Cai, the first=20
> author of the research paper. "But to stop cell growth and to kill=20
> the cell, p53 first needs to be moved to the cell's nucleus to=20
> function. Apigenin is very effective in localizing p53 this way."
>
> Apigenin is mainly found in fruit (including apples, cherries,=20
> grapes), vegetables (including parsley, artichoke, basil, celery),=20
> nuts and plant-derived beverages (including tea and wine). It has=20
> been shown by researchers to have growth inhibitory properties in=20
> several cancer lines, including breast, colon, skin, thyroid and=20
> leukemia cells. It has also been shown to inhibit pancreatic cancer=20
> cell proliferation.
>
> "Our study advocates the inclusion of vegetables and fruit in our=20
> daily diet to help prevent cancer," said Liu, the research paper's=20
> coauthor.
>
>
> ###
> The National Institutes of Health supported the five-year study.
>
> Next in their research Liu and Cai plan to design therapies for=20
> cancer by finding compounds that are like, but perform better than,=20
> apigenin.
>
>
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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