(Press-News.org) Scientists are reporting a scientific basis for the long-standing belief that a widely used non-prescription drug in China and certain other countries can prevent and treat cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Their study appears in Inorganic Chemistry, an ACS journal.
In the study, Tzu-Hua Wu, Fu-Yung Huang, Shih-Hsiung Wu and colleagues note that eye drops containing pirenoxine, or PRX, have been reputed as a cataract remedy for almost 60 years. Currently, the only treatment for cataracts in Western medicine is surgical replacement of the lens, the clear disc-like structure inside the eye that focuses light onto the nerve tissue in the back of the eye. Despite the wide use of pirenoxine, there have been few scientific studies on its actual effects, the scientists note.
To fill that gap, the scientists tested pirenoxine on cloudy solutions that mimic the chemical composition of the eye lens of cataract patients. The solutions contained crystallin — a common lens protein — combined with either calcium or selenite, two minerals whose increased levels appear to play key roles in the development of cataracts. Presence of PRX reduced the cloudiness of the lens solution containing calcium by 38 percent and reduced the cloudiness of the selenite solution by 11 percent. "These results may provide a rationale for using PRX as an anti-cataract agent and warrant further biological studies," the article notes.
INFORMATION:
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Council, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, and Academia Sinica (Taiwan).
ARTICLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Ditopic Complexation of Selenite Anions or Calcium Cations by Pirenoxine: An Implication for Anti-Cataractogenesis"
DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/ic102151p
CONTACT:
Tzu-Hua Wu, Ph.D.
School of Pharmacy
College of Pharmacy
Taipei Medical University
Taipei, Taiwan
Phone: 886-2-2736-1661 ext 6172
Fax: 886-2-27358920
Email: thwu@tmu.edu.tw
Scientific evidence supports effectiveness of Chinese drug for cataracts
2011-01-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
LSUHSC research shows emotional stress can change brain function
2011-01-13
New Orleans, LA – Research conducted by Iaroslav Savtchouk, a graduate student, and S. June Liu, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has shown that a single exposure to acute stress affected information processing in the cerebellum – the area of the brain responsible for motor control and movement coordination and also involved in learning and memory formation. The work is published in the January 12, 2011 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
The researchers found that a five-minute exposure to the odor of a ...
Customer representatives mean increased efficiency in radiology
2011-01-13
Adding customer service representatives to a computerized radiology workflow management system means improved patient and referring physician satisfaction and increased radiologist efficiency, an analysis of a program at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati finds.
Seven customer service representatives now staff the radiology reading room from 7:00 am – 11:00 pm daily and are responsible for ensuring that referring physicians receive completed radiology reports quickly.
This means that the referring physician can get the report while the patient is still ...
New 'frozen smoke' material: 1 ounce could carpet three football fields
2011-01-13
Scientists are reporting the development of a new, ultra-light form of "frozen smoke" — renowned as the world's lightest solid material — with amazing strength and an incredibly large surface area. The new so-called "multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT) aerogel" could be used in sensors to detect pollutants and toxic substances, chemical reactors, and electronics components. A report about the material appears in ACS Nano, a monthly journal.
Lei Zhai and colleagues explain that aerogels made from silicon dioxide (the main ingredient in sand) and other material already are ...
Extent of corruption in countries around the world tied to earthquake fatalities
2011-01-13
A new assessment of global earthquake fatalities over the past three decades indicates that 83 percent of all deaths caused by the collapse of buildings during earthquakes occurred in countries considered to be unusually corrupt.
Authored by Professor Nicholas Ambraseys of the Imperial College of London and Professor Roger Bilham of the University Colorado at Boulder, the study also found that in some relatively wealthy countries where knowledge and sound business practices would be expected to prevail, the collapse of many buildings is nevertheless attributable to corrupt ...
The quest for rat poisons that mimic the Pied Piper's magic flute
2011-01-13
Scientists dream of developing a real-world version of the Pied Piper's magic flute — new poisons that pose no threat to people, pets or wildlife, while specifically targeting rats, those germ-laden creatures that outnumber humans 6 to 1 in some urban areas. An article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine, details some of the steps toward that goal.
C&EN Associate Editor Jyllian Kemsley points out that rats not only are notorious carriers of infectious disease, but threaten the survival of native plants and wildlife. ...
Elastography helps identify patients who need biopsy
2011-01-13
A new ultrasound technique is proving valuable in distinguishing malignant from benign breast lesions in some patients – results that could mean fewer unnecessary breast biopsies, a new study shows.
The study found that ultrasound elastography, which indicates tissue softness, can help predict cancer in patients with BI-RADS category 4 masses. "Because malignant tumors predominantly are harder than benign tissues, this technique significantly improves the differentiation between benign and malignant tissue" said Hiroko Satake, MD, lead author of the study. Dr. Satake ...
Preoperative breast MRI suggests high cancer yield
2011-01-13
The use of preoperative Breast MRI detects otherwise occult cancer with a relatively high degree of accuracy when applied to a diverse population of patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
The study was performed at the University of Washington and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Seattle, WA.
The review initiated with 592 patients who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent staging with preoperative breast MRI. The analysis set was comprised of 570 patients, whose ...
UBC-VCH researchers find critical link between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease
2011-01-13
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered that the genetic mechanism which destroys brain cells is responsible for early development of Alzheimer's Disease in people with Down Syndrome and for development of Alzheimer's Disease in general population – providing a potential new target for drugs that could forestall dementia in people with either condition.
The research, led by Dr. Weihong Song, Canada Research Chair in Alzheimer's Disease and a professor of psychiatry in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, ...
How children cope with the aftermath of a hurricane
2011-01-13
CORAL GABLES, FL (January 12, 2011) --Living through a natural disaster is a traumatic experience for everyone, but especially for children. A new study by University of Miami Psychologist Annette La Greca and her collaborators, indicate that some children who directly experience a devastating hurricane still show signs of posttraumatic stress (PTS) almmost two years after the event. The findings suggest that new models for intervention to help children after a natural disaster are needed.
The study, titled "Hurricane-Related Exposure Experiences and Stressors, Other Life ...
Middle school is when the right friends may matter most
2011-01-13
EUGENE, Ore. -- (Jan. 12, 2011) -- As adolescents move from elementary school into their middle or junior-high years, changes in friendships may signal potential academic success or troubles down the road, say University of Oregon researchers.
A new study, appearing in the February issue of the Journal of Early Adolescence, found that boys and girls whose friends are socially active in ways where rules are respected do better in their classroom work. Having friends who engage in problem behavior, in contrast, is related to a decrease in their grades. Having pro-social ...