From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2009-07-30 23:58:13 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] pumpkin info for ferrets in households with second hand smoke
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>, Ferret Mailing List <ferret-l@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG>
Ferrets, of course, are already known to be extremely sensitive to the=20
products of tobacco smoke.
Meanwhile, studies of betacarotene consumption combined with damage=20
from smoke are somewhat mixed. In a number of situations lung=20
malignancies actually worsen.
This abstract looks at why that can happen.
Pumpkin, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes are among the high=20
dietary sources of beta carotene.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638427
> Carcinogenesis. 2009 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print]
> Beta-carotene affects oxidative stress related DNA damage in lung=20
> epithelial cells and in ferret lung.
> van Helden YG, Keijer J, Heil SG, Pic=F3 C, Palou A, Oliver P, Munnia =
> A, Bried=E9 JJ, Peluso M, Hal NF, van Schooten FJ, Godschalk RW.
> Department of Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology, Research=20
> Institute NUTRIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
>
> Beta-carotene (BC) was found to enhance lung cancer risk in smokers.=20
> This adverse effect was unexpected because BC was thought to act as=20
> an anti-oxidant against cigarette smoke derived radicals. These=20
> radicals can directly or indirectly damage DNA, leading to the=20
> formation of pro-mutagenic DNA lesions such as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-
> deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) and 3-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-
> pentafuranosyl)pyrimido[1,2-alpha]purin-10(3H)-one deoxyguanosine=20
> (M(1)dG). Later, it was suggested that high concentrations of BC=20
> could also result in pro-oxidant effects. Therefore, we investigated=20
> whether high but physiologically feasible concentrations of BC were=20
> able to alter i. the formation of radicals in vitro assessed by=20
> electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR), ii. the levels of 8-oxo-
> dG and M(1)dG in vitro in lung epithelial cells after incubation=20
> with H(2)O(2) and the smoke derived carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene=20
> (B[a]P) and iii. the levels of 8-oxo-dG and M(1)dG in vivo in=20
> ferrets' lung after chronic exposure to B[a]P. BC increased in vitro=20
> hydroxyl radical formation in the Fenton reaction, but inhibited the=20
> formation of carbon centered radicals. Similarly, BC was able to=20
> enhance 8-oxo-dG in vitro in lung epithelial cells. On the other=20
> hand, BC significantly inhibited M(1)dG formation in lung epithelial=20
> cells, especially after induction of M(1)dG by H(2)O(2) or B[a]P.=20
> Finally, BC supplementation of ferrets also resulted in a=20
> significant decrease in M(1)dG, but in contrast to the in vitro=20
> experiments, no effect was observed on 8-oxo-dG levels, probably=20
> because of increased base excision repair capacities (BER) as=20
> assessed by a modified comet assay. These data indicate that the=20
> fate of BC being a pro- or anti-oxidant strongly depends on the type=20
> of radical involved.
>
> PMID: 19638427
>
Ultimately, it boils down to smoke being extremely hard on ferrets=20
just as it is on humans. The effect is worse if there is a pulmonary,=20
allergy, or cardiac problem, perhaps others as well. It may be that=20
the effect is worse if the ferret's diet also contains supplementary=20
pumpkin, as is used for some ferrets with IBD.
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/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
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