Medical Hypotheses[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Mycotoxins causing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Reid WK
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33631494 · Publisher ↗
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) remains a terminal disease without an established etiology for the majority of patients. The dominant theory of ALS before the 1970's was the presence of a poison. One of the primary m...
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) remains a terminal disease without an established etiology for the majority of patients. The dominant theory of ALS before the 1970's was the presence of a poison. One of the primary means of treating patients with a toxic exposure has been plasma exchange, but plasma exchange of ALS patients failed to alter the clinical course. The failure of plasma exchange assumes the patient is no longer exposed to the poison. If the exposure to poison continued, then plasma exchange alone would fail. I found laboratory evidence of a poisoning in every patient with ALS examined. A search for specific poisons found evidence of mycotoxins. Treatment with antifungal agents corrected the laboratory findings. All of the ALS patients had evidence of immune suppression. There is mounting evidence that many mycotoxins cause both neurotoxicity and immune suppression. These mycotoxins may be able to explain the full spectrum of pathology in ALS without a secondaryevent.
Persistent SARS-2 infections contribute to long COVID-19.
Jacobs JJL
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33621843 · Full text
COVID-19 is a serious disease that has infected more than 40 million people. Beside significant mortality, the SARS-CoV-2 infection causes considerable and sustained morbidity, dubbed long COVID. This paper argues that s...
COVID-19 is a serious disease that has infected more than 40 million people. Beside significant mortality, the SARS-CoV-2 infection causes considerable and sustained morbidity, dubbed long COVID. This paper argues that some of this morbidity may be due to a persistent systemic infection. Persistent infection is indicated by continued virus RNA shedding. The virus' superantigen could overstimulate anti-virus immune responses, and thereby induce negative feedback loops, that paradoxically allow the virus to persist. The superantigen would induce strong immune response to any residual infection. This hypothesis suggests that clearing the virus infection completely would be an appropriate intervention against long COVID.
Pulmonary lipid modulation: A possible therapeutic target for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Mandato C, Vajro P
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33621842 · Full text
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Adipose derived stem cells to construct parathyroid organoid for hypoparathyroidism.
Chen X, Sun J, Li X
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33618246 · Publisher ↗
Hypoparathyroidism is one of the most common postoperative complications of thyroid surgery, and organoid transplantation is a frontier field expected to treat hypoparathyroidism. Organoids are three-dimensional cell agg...
Hypoparathyroidism is one of the most common postoperative complications of thyroid surgery, and organoid transplantation is a frontier field expected to treat hypoparathyroidism. Organoids are three-dimensional cell aggregates derived from embryonic stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, or tissue precursor cells, possessing similar structures and functions to organs. Thus they can replace diseased organs to play a role. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a population of postnatal stem cells residing in the fat tissue, capable of differentiating into parathyroid-like cells with parathyroid hormone secretion function. Additionally, we have prepared cartilaginous organoids by intelligent porous hydrogel and differentiated ASCs via "bottom-up" strategy in vitro. Therefore, we speculate that parathyroid organoids can be achieved by the biomaterial-assisted assembly of differentiated adipose stem cells and it is a promising treatment for hypoparathyroidism.
Aspirin and celecoxib may help to rectify a neurotransmission imbalance in bipolar disorder.
Rapoport SI
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33618245 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Mood stabilizers with disparate chemical structures are approved for treating bipolar disorder, but their mechanisms of action are not agreed on. However, when administered to unanesthetized rats at clinicall...
BACKGROUND: Mood stabilizers with disparate chemical structures are approved for treating bipolar disorder, but their mechanisms of action are not agreed on. However, when administered to unanesthetized rats at clinically relevant doses, they modulate neurotransmission involving arachidonic acid and brain activity of COX-2, which oxidizes arachidonic acid within the arachidonic acid metabolic cascade. HYPOTHESIS: Inhibiting COX-2 directly might enhance mood stabilizer effects in bipolar disorder patients. OBSERVATIONS: This paper reviews randomized controlled trials that showed that celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, or low-dose aspirin, which inhibits COX-1 and inhibits/acetylates COX-2, reduced bipolar symptoms in patients on mood stabilizers. More convincing are two population based pharmacoepidemiological studies that each demonstrated that chronic low dose aspirin reduced bipolar severity markers in patients on mood stabilizers. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that low-dose chronic aspirin and celecoxib, which can inhibit COX-2 and enter brain, can be repurposed in bipolar disorder to enhance mood stabilizer effects on arachidonic acid metabolism and neurotransmission.
Microalbuminuria as a potential biomarker for Parkinson's disease severity: A hypothesis.
Meléndez-Flores JD, Cavazos-Benítez AC, Estrada-Bellmann I
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33609950 · Publisher ↗
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms causing a great burden in patients' quality of life. PD has been associated with various metabo...
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms causing a great burden in patients' quality of life. PD has been associated with various metabolic factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and more recently chronic kidney disease where proteinuria has been associated with an increased risk. The presence of small amounts of albumin in urine, microalbuminuria, is a common biomarker for endothelial damage and a predictive factor for not only cardiovascular but also neurological dysfunction. Multiple studies have assessed potential biomarkers for PD progression with great heterogeneity, we hypothesize the use of microalbuminuria as a potential marker that correlates with PD severity and might represent a feasible and simple method of evaluating PD patients in clinical practice. Evidence supporting the present hypothesis comes from oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction. Oxidative stress is a key element in PD pathogenesis; studies have shown lower antioxidant capacity as PD progresses. On the other side, insulin signaling plays an important role in neuronal growth and survival, with its resistance being associated with PD. Microalbuminuria has been associated with both processes; increased levels of oxidative stress markers and decreased insulin sensitivity, hence its screening in PD might reflect these common pathological mechanisms. Moreover, the low vitamin D levels observed in PD patients, which are correlated with endothelial dysfunction and disease severity, might contribute to microalbuminuria induction. More evidence on this vascular approach comes from white matter lesions (WML), observed in brain imaging, which have been significantly associated with motor and non-motor function in PD patients and are independently associated with microalbuminuria. In this manner, an oxidant and insulin resistant environment, along with low vitamin D levels in PD patients, which are associated with microalbuminuria, might contribute altogether to WML. As the latter are correlated with motor and non-motor function, microalbuminuria might thus give insight on PD status. Prospective cohort studies with an adequate sample size, follow-up, and a thorough battery of clinical tests for PD are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Hidradenitis suppurativa - The role of interleukin-17, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the link to a possible fungal aetiology.
Yidana DB
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33607406 · Publisher ↗
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent, debilitating skin disease of the hair follicle that usually presents after puberty with painful, deep-seated, inflamed lesions in the apocrine gland bearing areas of...
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent, debilitating skin disease of the hair follicle that usually presents after puberty with painful, deep-seated, inflamed lesions in the apocrine gland bearing areas of the body, most commonly the axillae, inguinal and anogenital regions. The pathophysiology of the disease remains elusive, with newer therapies targeting various aspects of the dysregulated immune system. This presents a useful opportunity to look at the cytokine profile in HS and other inflammatory conditions that share similar patterns with the aim of teasing out less considered explanations for HS pathogenesis. It has been observed that IL-17 appears to be the most common denominator linking HS with other immune mediated diseases like Crohn, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Given that IL-17 plays an important role in antifungal immunity, evidenced by the cytokine pattern in fungal disease and the bulk of data citing their potential involvement in Crohn, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis; it is fair to suggest the need to explore the role that fungi play in the setting of HS going forward. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr) is a ubiquitous and largely conserved entity that is gaining interest in inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. It is well known to modulate autoimmune states. Its activation by both exogenous and endogenous agents result in secretion of IL-17 by Th17 cells. One of such agents is the tryptophan metabolite 6-formylindolo [3,2-b] carbazole (FICZ)-which can be produced by microorganisms such as fungi. It will be interesting to explore its usefulness in HS pathogenesis.
A genetic insight into vitamin D binding protein and COVID-19.
Alshahawey M
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33607405 · Full text
It's since December 2019 that Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has emerged to be the global issue of concern. A "pandemic"; this is what WHO has declared about the COVID-19 outbreak on March 3rd, 2020. Vitamin D and its d...
It's since December 2019 that Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has emerged to be the global issue of concern. A "pandemic"; this is what WHO has declared about the COVID-19 outbreak on March 3rd, 2020. Vitamin D and its deficiency have recently been claimed to be one of the potential factors affecting COVID-19 risks and outcomes [1]. As Selberstein et al., has recently discussed the effect of vitamin D deficiency, and the role of vitamin D supplementation in COVID-19 patients [2], I'd believe that vitamin D binding protein (DBP) is maybe also involved. A closer look on DBP and its action on regulating the circulatory vitamin D levels, its polymorphisms and their impact on COVID-19 prevalence and mortality, will be briefly discussed.
Age-adjusted mortality from pancreatic cancer increased NINE-FOLD in japan from 1950 to 1995 - Was a low-protein quasi-vegan diet a key factor in their former low risk?
McCarty MF, Assanga SI, Lujan LL
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Apr · PMID 33582316 · Publisher ↗
During the last half of the twentieth century, age-adjusted mortality from pancreatic cancer in Japan rose about nine-fold in both sexes. Well-characterized risk factors such as smoking, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and h...
During the last half of the twentieth century, age-adjusted mortality from pancreatic cancer in Japan rose about nine-fold in both sexes. Well-characterized risk factors such as smoking, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and heavy alcohol use appear to explain only a modest part of this rise. It is proposed that a diet relatively low in protein, and particularly low in animal protein, was a key determinant of the low risk for pancreatic cancer in mid-century Japan. It is further proposed that pancreatic acinar cells, owing to their extraordinarily high rate of protein synthesis, are at high risk for ER stress; that such stress plays a fundamental role in the induction of most pancreatic cancers; and that low-protein diets help to offset such stress by modulating activities of the kinases GCN2 and mTORC1 while increasing autocrine and systemic production of fibroblast growth factor 21. This model appears to clarify the role of various risk factors and protective factors in pancreatic cancer induction. A vegan or quasi-vegan low-protein diet may have broader potential for decreasing risk for a range of common "Western" cancers.
"Men Fear Most What They Cannot See." sleep paralysis "Ghost Intruders" and faceless "Shadow-People"-The role of the right hemisphere and economizing nature of vision.
Jalal B
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33573871 · Publisher ↗
Sleep paralysis is a curious condition where the paralyzed person may hallucinate terrifying ghosts. These hypnogogic and hypnopompic visions are common worldwide. They often entail seeing and sensing shadow beings; alth...
Sleep paralysis is a curious condition where the paralyzed person may hallucinate terrifying ghosts. These hypnogogic and hypnopompic visions are common worldwide. They often entail seeing and sensing shadow beings; although hallucinating full-fledged figures (e.g., cat-like creatures and witches) are not uncommon. In this paper, I propose a neuroscientific account (building on previous work) for why people see ghosts during sleep paralysis and why these tend to manifest as faceless shadows. This novel venture considers the distinct computational styles of the right and left hemisphere and their functional specializations vis-à-vis florid intruder hallucinations and out-of-body experiences (OBEs) during these dream-like states. Additionally, I provide a brain-based explanation for dissociative phenomena common during sleep paralysis. Specifically, I posit that these ghost hallucinations and OBEs are chiefly mediated by activity in key regions in the right hemisphere; and outline how the functional organization of the visual system (evoking concepts like surface interpolation) and its economizing nature (i.e., proclivity to minimize computational load and take short-cuts) can explain faceless humanoid-shadows and sensed presence hallucinations during sleep paralysis; and how the hypothalamus and anterior cingulate may be implicated during related dissociative states. Ultimately empirical research must shed light on the validity of this account. If this hypothesis is correct, patients with right hemisphere damage (i.e., in implicated areas) should be less likely to hallucinate ghosts during sleep paralysis; i.e., compared to those with intact hemispheres or damage to the left only. It may also be possible to temporarily disable right hemisphere functions during sleep paralysis using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Accordingly, this procedure should eradicate sleep paralysis ghost hallucinations.
Antihistamine and cationic amphiphilic drugs, old molecules as new tools against the COVID-19?
Gitahy Falcao Faria C, Weiner L, Petrignet J … +6 more , Hingray C, Ruiz De Pellon Santamaria Á, Villoutreix BO, Beaune P, Leboyer M, Javelot H
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33571758 · Full text
Several studies have reported that certain psychoactive drugs could have a protective effect against SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we propose that antihistamines (anti-H1) and cationic amphiphilic drugs (CAD), specifically, have t...
Several studies have reported that certain psychoactive drugs could have a protective effect against SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we propose that antihistamines (anti-H1) and cationic amphiphilic drugs (CAD), specifically, have the capacity to disrupt virus entry and replication. In addition, several of these molecules have limited side effects and as such could be promising prophylactic candidates against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Flicker retinal vasodilation test using a combination of conventional electroretinogram flicker luminescence and blue wavelength autofluorescence.
Takkar B, Jalali S
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33571757 · Publisher ↗
Currently, the only available objective measure of functioning of the retinal neuro-vascular unit (NVU) is the flicker retinal vasodilation test (FRVT). The FRVT measures change in retinal vessel diameter after exposure...
Currently, the only available objective measure of functioning of the retinal neuro-vascular unit (NVU) is the flicker retinal vasodilation test (FRVT). The FRVT measures change in retinal vessel diameter after exposure to flickers of light. Unfortunately, it is dependent on a technically adept machine, which is not readily available. In this hypothesis, we propose utilization of 2 commonly available retinal diagnostic tools, the electroretinogram (ERG) and the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy-based fundus auto fluorescence (cSLO-FAF), for performing the FRVT. While the conventional machine based FRVT was performing the flicker luminescence and retinal imaging simultaneously, our hypothesized protocol is dependent on a rapidly performed 2 staged test, the effects of which need to be elicited in a pilot study. As neuroprotection is becoming a therapeutic reality for diseases like diabetic retinopathy, such adaptations may make research and therapy easier.
The potential use of lactate blockers for the prevention of COVID-19 worst outcome, insights from exercise immunology.
AbdelMassih AF, Menshawey R, Hozaien R … +65 more , Kamel A, Mishriky F, Husseiny RJ, Hanoura AM, Yacoub E, AlShehry N, Menshawey E, El-Husseiny N, Yasser R, Arsanyous M, Nathan L, Seyam M, Massoud D, Ali N, Kassim A, AmanAllah M, Elsayed R, Sheashaa H, Husseiny Y, Hassan NH, Badr K, Elkhateb A, Fouad V, Elfishawy M, Medhat O, Mustafa M, Khalil N, Elsayed R, Nada Y, Elshawarbi P, Abdelmoneim N, Gamal N, Messiha M, Ghazy M, Abdelfatah E, Nasry F, Gayed R, Eesa M, Luis M, Eskandar E, Yacoub S, Saud A, Rajab M, Abdelaziz M, Elgamal N, Jaber H, Tayssir S, Michael M, Sabry A, Shehata J, Abdelaziz R, Rateb S, El-Maghraby A, Mahjoub Y, Amr A, Mabrouk A, Kelada P, Ragab S, Eltaher B, Hassan Galal R, Aly OM, Aly T, AbdelHaleem R, ElShaarawy A, Mohamed O
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33561624 · Full text
Following the decline in Physical Activity (PA) due to COVID-19 restrictions in the form of government mandated lockdowns and closures of public spaces, the modulatory effect of physical exercise on immunity is being hea...
Following the decline in Physical Activity (PA) due to COVID-19 restrictions in the form of government mandated lockdowns and closures of public spaces, the modulatory effect of physical exercise on immunity is being heavily revisited. In an attempt to comprehend the wide discrepancy in patient response to COVID-19 and the factors that potentially modulate it, we summarize the findings relating PA to inflammation and immunity. A distinction is drawn between moderate intensity and high intensity physical exercise based on the high lactate production observed in the latter. We hypothesize that, the lactate production associated with high intensity anaerobic exercise is implicated in the modulation of several components of the innate and adaptive immunity. In this review, we also summarize these immunomodulatory effects of lactate. These include increasing serum IL-6 levels, the main mediator of cytokine storms, as well as affecting NK cells, Macrophages, Dendritic cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. The implications of high lactate levels in athletic performance are highlighted where athletes should undergo endurance training to increase VO2 max and minimize lactate production. Tumor models of hypoxia were also reported where lactate levels are elevated leading to increased invasiveness and angiogenesis. Accordingly, the novel lactate blocking strategy employed in cancer treatment is evaluated for its potential benefit in COVID-19 in addition to the readily available beta-blockers as an antagonist to lactate. Finally, we suggest the diagnostic/prognostic purpose of the elevated lactate levels that can be determined through sweat lactate testing. It is the detrimental effect of lactate on immunity and its presence in sweat that qualify it to be used as a potential non-invasive marker of poor COVID-19 outcome.
Vitreous collagen cross-linking and maturation and interactions with internal limiting membrane (ILM) collagen may have a potential role in modulating postnatal growth of the eyeball.
Venkatesh P
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33549965 · Publisher ↗
At birth, the eye is moderately hypermetropic but achieves emmetropia by the age of 5-6 years in a large majority (Chakraborty et al., 2020; Gwiazda et al., 1993). The process of emmetropization is attributed to changes...
At birth, the eye is moderately hypermetropic but achieves emmetropia by the age of 5-6 years in a large majority (Chakraborty et al., 2020; Gwiazda et al., 1993). The process of emmetropization is attributed to changes in several components of the eye structure, predominantly cornea, crystalline lens and axial length. Emmetropization is possible only when there is a fine balance between the optical power of the eye and its focal length. The former is determined by the combined dioptric power of the cornea and crystalline lens and the latter by the axial length of the eyeball. Increase in axial length has been shown to be the most important factor for reaching emmetropia. The main determinant of this increase is reported to be expansion of the vitreous chamber (Mutti et al., 2005; Larsen, 1971). Growth of the vitreous body during postnatal development is well established. However, what initiates vitreous chamber expansion and what brings about its precise arrest at the point of emmetropization are aspects that have not been explored and remain an enigma. It is hypothesized herein that vitreous chamber expansion and resultant early increase in axial length that precisely stops at the point of emmetropia, occurs secondary to postnatal structural and conformational changes within the vitreous collagen and internal limiting membrane (ILM) collagen and molecular interactions between these two structures.
Airways to heaven: Caution needed when exercising during COVID-19.
Della Guardia L, Codella R
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33549964 · Full text
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Investigating natural antibiofilm components: a new therapeutic perspective against candidal vulvovaginitis.
Hassan N, Firdaus S, Padhi S … +2 more , Ali A, Iqbal Z
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33549963 · Publisher ↗
The rampant emergence of Candida albicans in the vagina and its ability to thrive as a biofilm has outstood the prevalence of candidal vulvovaginitis (CVV), a gender-based fungal infection approximately affecting 75% of...
The rampant emergence of Candida albicans in the vagina and its ability to thrive as a biofilm has outstood the prevalence of candidal vulvovaginitis (CVV), a gender-based fungal infection approximately affecting 75% of the global female population. The biofilm represents a multidimensional microbial population, which often dictates prominent caveats of CVV such as increased fungal virulence, drug resistance and infection relapse/recurrence. Additionally, the conjugated issues of the ineffectiveness of conventional antifungals (azoles), prolonged treatment durations, compromised patient compliance, economic and social burden, exacerbates CVV complications as well. Henceforth, the current hypothesis narrates an investigational proposal for exploration and combination of naturally derived antibiofilm components with luliconazole (imidazole antifungal agent) as a new therapeutic paradigm against CVV. The purported hypothesis unravels a synergistic approach for fabricating Nanostructured Lipid Carriers, NLCs loaded transvaginal gel with dual APIs of natural (antibiofilm) as well as the synthetic (antifungal) origin to target high therapeutic efficacy, delivery, retention, controlled release and bioadhesion in a vaginal milieu. The multipronged effect of antibiofilm and antifungal agents will expectably enhance drug susceptibility thus, maintaining Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) against cells of C. albicans and targeting its biofilm in planktonic, adherent, and sessile phases. The effective disruption of a biofilm could further lower infection resistance and recurrence as well. In conclusion, the purported hypothesis could speed up the emergence of novel drug combinations and accelerates new product development with solid, synergistic, and complementary activities against C. albicans and its biofilm, making it amenable for generating pre-clinical and clinical results therebycreating a suitableroadmap for commercialization.
The enigma of subnormal vision in persistent pupillary membrane.
Kumar Bafna R, Tripathi M, Kumari S … +4 more , Ibrahime Asif M, Lata S, Kalra N, Sharma N
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33549962 · Publisher ↗
Persistent pupillary membrane (PPM) is a common congenital anomaly of the eye, representing the remnants of tunica vasculosa lentis. It is often detected as an incidental finding upon examination. The presentation may va...
Persistent pupillary membrane (PPM) is a common congenital anomaly of the eye, representing the remnants of tunica vasculosa lentis. It is often detected as an incidental finding upon examination. The presentation may vary from being an insignificant strand of iris to a hyperplastic dense membrane, with or without adhesions to the surrounding structures, which notably obscures the visual axis. When present as an isolated pathology, these patients are often asymptomatic. However, some patients with isolated PPM do present with poor visual acuity or subnormal quality of vision. The severity of their disability does not always correlate to the extent of the anomaly present in the eye. The rationale as to why only some patients with significant PPM experience this visual handicap while others don't is one of the baffling conundrums in ophthalmology at present. Hence, we attempt to elaborate on the possible mechanisms that explain the unpredictable and variable clinical manifestation of persistent pupillary membranes.
Soy isoflavone-caused shunting of the corticosteroidogenesis pathways in andropausal subjects: Top-down impulse for the optimal supplementation design.
Ajdžanović V, Miler M, Šošić-Jurjević B … +4 more , Filipović B, Milenkovic D, Jakovljević V, Milošević V
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33548764 · Publisher ↗
In a series of our previous works, we revealed the beneficial effects of applied soy isoflavones (genistein or daidzein) on the wide context of corticosteroidogenesis in vivo, in a rat model of the andropause. Soy isofla...
In a series of our previous works, we revealed the beneficial effects of applied soy isoflavones (genistein or daidzein) on the wide context of corticosteroidogenesis in vivo, in a rat model of the andropause. Soy isoflavones decreased the circulating levels of pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone, inhibited aldosterone secretion, as well as corticosterone production and secretion, but stimulated dehydroepiandrosterone secretion, all in andropausal rats. In vitro studies indicate that the mechanism underlying these hormonal changes relies on inhibition of the pituitary tyrosine kinase and adrenocortical 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes by soy isoflavones. Although the clinical studies are in their infancy, the opinion is that genistein and daidzein have therapeutic potential for the safe treatment of ageing-caused androgen deprivation and glucocorticoid excess with related metabolic/hemodynamic issues in males. Our accumulated experience and knowledge in the field of biomedical effects of plant polyphenols have provided a platform for potential recommending the agenda to organize and accelerate experimental research aimed at producing the optimal supplementation. We hypothesize that an in vivo approach should first be exploited in the sequence of investigative steps, followed by in vitro studies and synchronously conducted molecular docking analyses. In vivo research, besides establishing the margin of exposure safety or adjustment of the correct polyphenol dose, enables identification and quantification of the metabolites of applied polyphenols in the blood. Subsequent in vitro exploitation of the metabolites and related docking analyses provide clarification of the molecular mechanisms of action of applied polyphenols. Chemical modification of the polyphenol structure or coupling it with nanoparticles might be the next step in optimizing the design of supplementation. Selected, intact or chemically-modified polyphenol molecules should be included in preclinical studies on a more closely-related species, while clinical studies would finally assess the safety and effectiveness of a polyphenol-based remedial strategy. The final supplement represents a product of an appropriate technological process, conducted in accordance with the recommendations derived from the preceding research.
ABO B gene is associated with introversion personality tendancies through linkage with dopamine beta hydroxylase gene.
Hobgood DK
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33548763 · Publisher ↗
Although personality is thought to be 50% heritable, consensus has not been reached about the specific genes involved, interest in genes affecting personality and behavior continues because of the linkage of personality...
Although personality is thought to be 50% heritable, consensus has not been reached about the specific genes involved, interest in genes affecting personality and behavior continues because of the linkage of personality traits with both physical and mental illness. One hundred and twenty years of study of the ABO blood types and the genes causing them has led to more precise assignment of genotype-phenotype linkage. Countries like Japan and Korea with 100 years history of study of ABO blood groups and personality as well as other countries have published research with no consensus. Introversion is a well-studied personality trait with 50% genetic causation. Dopamine system has been linked to the introversion-extroversion spectrum with high dopamine linked to introversion. Dopamine beta hydroxylase determines the ratio of dopamine to norepinephrine. Dopamine beta hydroxylase gene, DBH, is in linkage disequilibrium with ABO gene thus offering insight into the ABO findings related to personality traits. ABO blood groups have been studied with some but not all studies finding type AB associated with introversion. One explanation for the inconsistent replication of findings could be that genotypes would show more differences than phenotypes. ABO A allele, ABO B allele or the synergism of both alleles could be the driver of introversion trait in ABO AB. Patients in an obstetric gynecology practice appeared to demonstrate a tendancy to introversion in phenotype ABO B. Since we had access to ABO blood phenotypes instead of genotypes of our obstetric gynecology office patients, we hypothesized that phenotype ABO AB when compared with ABO O would be associated with higher introversion since these phenotypes were also genotypes and since ABO O unlike ABO AB is not found associated with introversion in extant research. Though ABO B allele was observed to be the likely cause of introversion in patients and since we had available only phenotypes of ABO to use in search of genetic allele that causes introversion trait, ABO AB needs to be dissected to see whether ABO A allele or ABO B allele is the driver of the introspective trait. Based on the literature and on observation, the hypothesis was that ABO B is the driver of introversion trait. A pilot student of 225 obstetric gynecology patients using the online NPA personality test showed higher scores for introversion tendancies in ABO AB compared to ABO O and when ABO AB was compared to ABO A. This supports ABO B as the driver of introversion tendancies in the ABO gene. Studies using ABO genotypes instead of ABO phenotypes should provide further support for this hypothesis. Given the support for introversion tendancies in personality caused by higher dopamine genetically with dopamine beta hydroxylase low activity and this dopamine state being common mechanism for such conditions as schizophrenia and autism, continued discoveries of genes that impact this state will lead to many health implications.
Agile ageing - A modifiable vital sign to mitigate the risk of falls in older adults?
Ogilvie M, Wallen MP, Talpey SW
Med Hypotheses · 2021 Mar · PMID 33548762 · Publisher ↗
Falls prevention in older adults is a targeted priority because a fall can lead to disability, institutionalisation and presents a signficant financial burden. Falls are multifactoral in nature however, impairments in bo...
Falls prevention in older adults is a targeted priority because a fall can lead to disability, institutionalisation and presents a signficant financial burden. Falls are multifactoral in nature however, impairments in both physical and cognitive functioning have been linked to their occurrence. Currently, testing and exercise training for falls prevention focuses on physical qualities such as balance and strength. Agility is a unique physical quality that couples an individuals perceptual cognitive ability with the ability to produce a quick and accurate movement. Agility is relatively well understood in a sporting context however, its application to falls prevention has been minimal. Because a fall may occur while an individual is perceiving information from the dynamic environment around them while attempting to execute a rapid and accurate movement it is hypothesised that concepts and methods used to assess and train agility in athlete populations can be use to improve practices related to the screening and training to mitigate the risk of a fall in an older adult.
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