Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Maurice Preter MD

Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5025. [Epub ahead of print]
Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Sanmukhani J, Satodia V, Trivedi J, Patel T, Tiwari D, Panchal B, Goel A, Tripathi CB.
Source
Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India.
Abstract
Curcumin, an active ingredient of Curcuma longa Linn (Zingiberaceae), has shown potential antidepressant-like activity in animal studies. The objectives of this trial were to compare the efficacy and safety of curcumin with fluoxetine in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Herein, 60 patients diagnosed with MDD were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio for six weeks observer-masked treatment with fluoxetine (20 mg) and curcumin (1000 mg) individually or their combination. The primary efficacy variable was response rates according to Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-item version (HAM-D17 ). The secondary efficacy variable was the mean change in HAM-D17 score after six weeks. We observed that curcumin was well tolerated by all the patients. The proportion of responders as measured by the HAM-D17 scale was higher in the combination group (77.8%) than in the fluoxetine (64.7%) and the curcumin (62.5%) groups; however, these data were not statistically significant (P = 0.58). Interestingly, the mean change in HAM-D17 score at the end of six weeks was comparable in all three groups (P = 0.77). This study provides first clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe modality for treatment in patients with MDD without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
KEYWORDS:
CNS, antidepressant, clinical trial simulations, curcumin, major depressive disorder

PMID: 23832433 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Medication & Health Insurance Resources

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Maurice Preter MD

Excellent resource by Ken Pope, PhD.

Resources for Finding Low-Cost Health Insurance & Lowest-Cost Medications

Ken Pope, Ph.D., ABPP

Some of you may know of clients, relatives, or friends who are having difficulty finding health insurance or affording needed medications, perhaps using smaller doses or going without because their resources are needed for rent, etc.

I’ve gathered names, brief descriptions, and links to sites that can be helpful in locating the lowest price for a particular medication — available either online or at the pharmacies near where you live.

There are also sites for locating free medications for those living in poverty.

Finally, there are sites for locating affordable health insurance.

Posted in Health, keto, News, Psychiatry/Neurology |

Piperine and curcumin exhibit synergism in attenuating D-galactose induced senescence in rats.

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Maurice Preter MD

Piperine and curcumin exhibit synergism in attenuating D-galactose induced senescence in rats.
Banji D, Banji OJ, Dasaroju S, Annamalai AR.
Source
Department of Pharmacology, Nalanda College of Pharmacy, Charlapally, Nalgonda 508001, A.P., India. davidbanji@gmail.com
Abstract
Aging is associated with progressive decline in mental abilities and functional capacities. Postmitotic tissues are most vulnerable to alteration due to oxidative damage leading to behavioral and biochemical changes. We hypothesized that the anatomical and functional facets of the brain could be protected with powerful antioxidants such as piperine and curcumin by examining their effects individually and in combination in delaying senescence induced by d-galactose. Young adult male Wistar rats were treated with piperine (12 mg/kg) alone, and curcumin (40 mg/kg) alone; and in combination for a period of 49 days by the oral route with treatment being initiated a week prior to d-galactose (60 mg/kg, i.p.). A control group, d-galactose alone and naturally aged control were also evaluated. Behavioral tests, hippocampal volume, CA1 neuron number, oxidative parameters, formation of lipofuscin like autofluorescent substances, neurochemical estimation, and histopathological changes in CA1 region of hippocampus were established. Our results suggest that the combination exerted a superior response compared to monotherapy as evidenced by improved spatial memory, reduced oxidative burden, reduced accumulation of lipofuscin; improvement in signaling, increase in hippocampal volume and protection of hippocampal neurons. We speculate that the powerful antioxidant nature of both, augmented response of curcumin in the presence of piperine and enhanced serotoninergic signaling was responsible for improved cognition and prevention in senescence.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PMID: 23200897 [PubMed – in process]
LinkOut – more resources

Source: Eur J Pharmacol. 2013 Mar 5;703(1-3):91-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2012.11.018. Epub 2012 Nov 29.

 

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Identification of candidate IgG biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease via combinatorial library screening.

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Maurice Preter MD
This is important news.
Cell. 2011 Jan 7;144(1):132-42. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.11.054.

Identification of candidate IgG biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease via combinatorial library screening.

Source

Opko Health Laboratories, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.

Abstract

The adaptive immune system is thought to be a rich source of protein biomarkers, but diagnostically useful antibodies remain unknown for a large number of diseases. This is, in part, because the antigens that trigger an immune response in many diseases remain unknown. We present here a general and unbiased approach to the identification of diagnostically useful antibodies that avoids the requirement for antigen identification. This method involves the comparative screening of combinatorial libraries of unnatural, synthetic molecules against serum samples obtained from cases and controls. Molecules that retain far more IgG antibodies from the case samples than the controls are identified and subsequently tested as capture agents for diagnostically useful antibodies. The utility of this method is demonstrated using a mouse model for multiple sclerosis and via the identification of two candidate IgG biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PMID:
21215375
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3066439

Free PMC Article

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Calorie restriction: what recent results suggest for the future of ageing research.

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Maurice Preter MD
Eur J Clin Invest. 2010 May;40(5):440-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2010.02276.x.

Calorie restriction: what recent results suggest for the future of ageing research.

Source

Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. dsmithjr@uab.edu

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Calorie Restriction (CR) research has expanded rapidly over the past few decades and CR remains the most highly reproducible, environmental intervention to improve health and extend lifespan in animal studies. Although many model organisms have consistently demonstrated positive responses to CR, it remains to be shown whether CR will extend lifespan in humans. Additionally, the current environment of excess caloric consumption and high incidence of overweight/obesity illustrate the improbable nature of the long-term adoption of a CR lifestyle by a significant proportion of the human population. Thus, the search for substances that can reproduce the beneficial physiologic responses of CR without a requisite calorie intake reduction, termed CR mimetics (CRMs), has gained momentum.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Recent articles describing health and lifespan results of CR in nonhuman primates and short-term human studies are discussed. Additional consideration is given to the rapidly expanding search for CRMs.

RESULTS:

The first results from a long-term, randomized, controlled CR study in nonhuman primates showing statistically significant benefits on longevity have now been reported. Additionally, positive results from short-term, randomized, controlled CR studies in humans are suggestive of potential health and longevity gains, while test of proposed CRMs (including rapamycin, resveratrol, 2-deoxyglucose and metformin) have shown both positive and mixed results in rodents.

CONCLUSION:

Whether current positive results will translate into longevity gains for humans remains an open question. However, the apparent health benefits that have been observed with CR suggest that regardless of longevity gains, the promotion of healthy ageing and disease prevention may be attainable.

PMID:
20534066
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3073505

Free PMC Article

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Posted in Aging, China, Complementary - Alternative Medicine, development, dietary, epigenetics, Events, Fifth Avenue Concierge Medicine, Forensic Neuropsychiatry, Health, keto, metabolic, new treatments, News, Psychiatry/Neurology | Tagged , , , |