Should drug companies be under a legal corporate hypocratic oath -little quiet scream

[R.B.]

Another example of potentially very significant benifts of omega threes.

Why are they not followed up.

The researchers clearly know they exist and are sufficiently impressed to include the information in the trail summary.

Human nature? A lack of investment in preventative trials by independent agencies ?

Should it be a corporate offence to not to bring to public attention non profitable, / less profitable potential agents that are found in research. I am not suggesting that they are obliged to develop them or trial them but at least fully and freely bring it to public attention they exist.

How else are we to avoid the potential for illness to be perpetuated in the quest for profitability when more effective solutions may exist given human behaviour and motivation within a corporate environment? (eg at the extreme Enron)

RB

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14505351&query_hl=9&itool=pubmed_docsum

ABSTRACT

............Our results showed that n-3 PUFA and both SERMs decreased triglyceride levels in the serum, and that SERMs also decreased serum cholesterol levels while n-3 PUFA had no similar effect. SERMs had no effect on IL-6, IL-1 beta, or IL-10 levels, but they decreased ex vivo tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). N-3 PUFA decreased secretion of non-induced IL-6 and TNF-alpha from cultured BMC and IL-1 beta levels in vivo (i.e., in bone marrow plasma), but its main effect was a significant elevation in the secretion of IL-10, a known anti-inflammatory cytokine.......................This activity could be mediated via the elevation of IL-10 which was shown to suppress B-lymphopoiesis. Both SERMs and n-3 PUFA inhibited the increase in adipose tissue thickness caused by OVX in mice. Our results showed that n-3 PUFA, could prevent some of the deleterious outcomes of estrogen deficiency that were not affected by SERMs...............

[R.B.]

DHA reduces bone loss in ovariecotomised rats

Also note ratios 1:5 and 1:10 which raises further questions as US ratios in some are suggested to be as high as 1:50


Another possbility that would merit investigation in humans.

RB


ABSTRACT


1: J Nutr Biochem. 2006 Apr;17(4):282-9. Epub 2005 Jun 21. Related Articles, Links
Click here to read
Dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs and docosahexaenoic acid: actions on bone mineral and serum biomarkers in ovariectomized rats.

Watkins BA, Li Y, Seifert MF.

Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health, Lipid Chemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2009, USA. baw@purdue.edu

Hypoestrogenic states escalate bone loss in animals and humans. This study evaluated the effects of the amount and ratio of dietary n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on bone mineral in 3-month-old sexually mature ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley rats. For 12 weeks, the rats were fed either a high-PUFA (HP) or a low-PUFA (LP) diet with a ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs of 5:1 (HP5 and LP5) or 10:1 (HP10 and LP10). All diets (modified AIN-93G) provided 110.4 g/kg of fat from safflower oil and/or high-oleate safflower oil blended with n-3 PUFAs (DHASCO oil) as a source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fatty acid analyses confirmed that the dietary ratio of 5:1 significantly elevated the amount of DHA in the periosteum, marrow and cortical and trabecular bones of the femur. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements for femur and tibia bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density showed that the DHA-rich diets (HP5 and LP5) resulted in a significantly lower bone loss among the OVX rats at 12 weeks. Rats fed the LP diets displayed the lowest overall serum concentrations of the bone resorption biomarkers pyridinoline (Pyd) and deoxypyridinoline, whereas the bone formation marker osteocalcin was lowest in the HP groups. Regardless of the dietary PUFA content, DHA in the 5:1 diets (HP5 and LP5) preserved rat femur BMC in the absence of estrogen. This study indicates that the dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs (LP5 and HP5) and bone tissue concentration of total long-chain n-3 PUFAs (DHA) minimize femur bone loss as evidenced by a higher BMC in OVX rats. These findings show that dietary DHA lowers the ratio of 18:2n-6 (linoleic acid)/n-3 in bone compartments and that this ratio in tissue correlates with reduced Pyd but higher bone alkaline phosphatase activity and BMC values that favor bone conservation in OVX rats.

PMID: 16102959 [PubMed - in process]

[Christine MH-UK]

Hi RB,

Yes, it is unfortunate that more money isn't put into the non-profitable research. However, did you know that there was a small trial done that showed that fish oil decreased weight loss in terminally ill patients?

Anyway, the drugs companies may use this type of information in ways they find profitable. There is actually a drug in development called DHA-paclitaxel or taxoprexin that attaches DHA to taxol. Cancers disproportionately suck in fatty acids, so the DHA gets more of the drug into cancer cells. Once the cancer cell takes in the DHA, it breaks off from the taxol, activating the drug and simultaneously, in theory, chemosensitizing the cancer cell. I think that it is being tried out in metastatic melanoma first:
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2000/C/200002582.html for the phase I trial results. The interesting thing is there were fewer side effects.

"The researchers reported that, at the highest dose of Taxoprexin® DHA-paclitaxel, they were able to administer 4.6 times more taxane than the maximum approved clinical dose of Taxol®. Some patients experienced a temporary reduction in their white blood cells. However, the reductions were transient and cell numbers returned to normal without treatment. None of the patients experienced hair loss or nerve problems, which are toxic side effects frequently associated with Taxol® and Taxotere®. In addition, no nausea or vomiting toxicities were seen."

So, this information does get used, but perhaps not in the less profitable ways.

[R.B.]

Re Omega threes fish oil in liquid intravenous feeds - Yes I have seen a few mentions in various trials suggesting benifit of upping threes in intravenous feed to various conditions.

Re using fat hunger of tumours as targeting sensor - No I dont think I have seen for Taxol but they appear to be trying for a number of agents.

But the key question is are they not simply looking for solutions to a problem that in large part could be simply resolved by resolving the optimal fat intake proportions - and if that is the case how do they in the board room justify the suffering it is putting women and children through.


Thanks for the response

RB

[Lolly]

I think the truth is most of the board room decisions are made in the cold light of financial gain, no human toll considered. I believe the scientists and doctors are for the most part working for the common good, but the corporate good is an entirely different kettle of fish.

<3 Lolly