Modified Citrus Pectin / Alginate Dietary Supplement Increased Fecal Excretion of Uranium: A Family.

CONTEXT: Uranium is found in geological deposits around the world. Toxicology of uranium includes nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, diminished bone growth, and developmental defects. Mining and agricultural practices have escalated the regional exposure. OBJECTIVE: A family of six living in the Phoenix, AZ area had concerns about uranium exposure. For intervention, a dietary supplement of modified citrus pectin: sodium alginate (2:1) was recommended based on research supporting abilities to lower heavy metal toxicity. METHODS: Baseline urine and fecal samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The supplement was self-administered at 3 capsules (750 mg/capsule) twice daily. Samples were taken at baseline, 6-days, and 6-weeks, additional fecal samples before stopping supplement and then after a 6-week washout period. Home water system was tested as well for heavy metals. RESULTS: Urine showed no detectable uranium whereas feces had significant change at 6-days, which persisted at 6-weeks. After a post-treatment period of 6-weeks, a decrease in excretion was seen in 5 of the 6 subjects. Home water showed cautionary levels of uranium. CONCLUSION: The supplement promoted fecal excretion of what is likely ongoing low-level exposure via ingestion. This is the first report of a supplement promoting uranium excretion suggesting it may reduce negative health effects in regions where chronic uranium exposure is known.

Improvements in Self-reported Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms With Prostate Health Supplement.

Context: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) produces lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that diminish quality of life. Conventional treatments are often accompanied by adverse side effects. By contrast, consumers of phytochemicals-based dietary supplements often report a reduction in symptoms without side effects. The field needs studies that quantify the strength and character of perceived benefits. Objectives: The study intended to quantify the character and strength of perceived improvements in LUTS in men, after the consumption of a prostate health supplement. Design: The research team sent questionnaires to 200 potential participants, requesting their self-reported retrospective assessments of their LUTS for the month prior to starting their use of a prostate health supplement, ProstaCaid (ie, at baseline from memory), and their assessments at the time of the study (ie, postintervention) based on their current symptoms. Setting: The study was conducted from consumers of ProstaCaid at their home through a mailed questionnaire from Econugenics (Santa Rosa, CA, USA). Participants: Participants were 65 male patients, ages 56 to 86 y, including those diagnosed with BPH, prostate cancer, or multiple diagnoses, or who had no formal diagnosis. Interventions: Participants had taken at least 2 capsules/d of the supplement for a minimum of 2 mo. Outcome Measures: Participants were asked to recall and rate urinary tract symptoms: (1) incomplete emptying (ie, sensation of not emptying the bladder), (2) urinary frequency, (3) intermittency, (4) urgency, (5) weak stream, (6) straining, and (7) nocturia, (ie, how many times the participant typically gets up at night to urinate). A questionnaire based on the international prostate symptom score questionnaire was used. Logistic regressions, based on the proportional odds ratios of LUTS scores, were used for statistical analysis. Results: The participants reported substantial improvements in a range of individual and composite LUTS scores. In addition, the variability of current scores was substantially reduced compared with recalled, past scores, indicating that the perceived improvements were shared among the respondents. Statistical analysis identified urgency and weak stream as the symptoms showing the greatest reduction in perceived severity, which therefore could be used as the subject of future case-controlled studies. Conclusions: When properly interpreted, retrospective, self-reported data can yield insights into the perceived benefits of supplements and help guide the care of patients who augment traditional treatment with alternative medicines. Reported improvements can also guide the development of testable hypotheses for randomized, case-controlled studies.

Methods for the detection and serum depletion of porcine galectin-3.

BACKGROUND: Circulating galectin-3 (Gal-3) is elevated in systemic inflammatory disorders, fibrotic diseases, and in cancers. Gal-3 is a promising cancer target where it promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis, as well as in renal, pulmonary, hepatic, and cardiovascular diseases, because of its role as a driver of fibrotic remodeling. This reports goal was to establish methods for the detection and removal of porcine Gal-3 that will enable further studies of the therapeutic potential of Gal-3 depletion by apheresis in porcine disease models. The long-term aim is to develop a safe, effective method of removing Gal-3 via apheresis as a standalone therapeutic tool and as an adjuvant to other therapies. METHODS: Purified recombinant porcine Gal-3 was prepared and used as the standard for development of a porcine Gal-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Different affinity column matrices that incorporated either a rat IgG2a anti-Gal-3 monoclonal antibody or carbohydrate ligand were assessed for depletion of Gal-3 from porcine serum. RESULTS: A porcine Gal-3 ELISA with a linear range from 0.3 to 20 ng/mL was able to detect native porcine Gal-3 in both fetal (∼150-200 ng/mL) and juvenile (∼5-15 ng/mL) porcine serum samples. Use of an anti-Gal-3 monoclonal antibody affinity column depleted Gal-3 from porcine serum to at least 313 pg/mL, the limit of ELISA detection. CONCLUSIONS: Methods have been developed for the detection and depletion of porcine Gal-3. These methods will be used to study the specific effects of Gal-3 depletion via apheresis in porcine models of disease.

Lipoprotein apheresis reduces circulating galectin-3 in humans.

BACKGROUND: Plasma galectin-3 (Gal-3) is elevated in, and drives, diverse systemic inflammatory disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Circulating Gal-3 promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis, as well as fibrotic remodeling, and is a promising therapeutic target. Apheresis has proven utility in reducing circulating disease-promoting substances, exemplified by the success of lipoprotein apheresis (LA) in abrogating cardiovascular disease progression in drug-refractory hypercholesterolemia patients. We compared the clinical utility of two FDA-approved LA systems in reducing plasma Gal-3 in humans. METHODS: Plasma Gal-3 levels were assessed by ELISA in blinded samples drawn pre- and post-apheresis from hypercholesterolemia patients (n = 10/group) undergoing therapeutic LA using either a heparin-induced extracorporeal LDL precipitation (HELP) or dextran sulfate-adsorption (DSA) system. RESULTS: Mean baseline plasma Gal-3 concentrations (±SD) were 14.3 ± 5.1 (range 6.6-22.8) and 14.5 ± 2.8 (range 10.6-19.8) ng/mL in the HELP and DSA groups, respectively. Post-apheresis Gal-3 levels were respectively reduced by 19.4% and 22.7% in the HELP (P = 0.0094) and DSA (P = 0.0027) systems (paired t-tests); the difference between devices was insignificant (P = 0.5288; Mann-Whitney). Post-treatment Gal-3 levels were 11.3 ± 3.7 (HELP; range 4.5-16.3) and 11.3 ± 3.8 (DSA; range 7.5-20.7) ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating Gal-3 levels showed a statistically significant decrease in humans undergoing therapeutic LA. Although absolute Gal-3 reduction was ≈19-23%, this effect, combined with reducing atherogenic LDL and other inflammation mediators (e.g., CRP, fibrinogen, Lp-PLA2 ), may enhance apheresis clinical benefits. Applying new Gal-3-specific extraction technologies to apheresis may be advantageous in treating diverse pathologies that are promoted by elevated plasma Gal-3. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:388-392, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intravenous Honokiol in Drug-Resistant Cancer: Two Case Reports.

Context: Long-term patient survival in cancer is affected by drug resistance. Honokiol (HNK) is a small-molecule polyphenol isolated from the bark and seed cones of Magnolia officinalis. HNK has been shown to enhance the effects of chemotherapy and inhibit drug resistance in preclinical models. HNK was well tolerated in multiple animal models when administered orally, intravenously (IV), and via intraperitoneal route. However, there are limited human data on the use of HNK in general, and specifically via IV (HNK-IV) in cancer. Objective: We aim to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of HNK-IV in patients with drug-resistant tumors. Methods: This is a case study of 2 cancer patients who utilized HNK-IV as part of their cancer treatment regimen. The initial infusion of HNK was 10 mg/kg body weight, and subsequent treatments were increased up to 50 mg/kg according to individual tolerance, over 2 weeks. Results: Positive clinical response was achieved in both patients, including improved symptoms and quality of life. No serious adverse side effects occurred, and there were no adverse effects on laboratory parameters (complete blood count, kidney, and liver function). Transient sedation and minor nausea were noted and resolved postinfusion. Conclusions: This is the first report of HNK-IV in human patients. Given the positive clinical results, safety, and tolerability, the use of HNK-IV warrants further investigation regarding optimum formulation, and its use as adjunctive therapy in cancer patients.

Integrative medicine and the role of modified citrus pectin/alginates in heavy metal chelation and detoxification--five case reports.

Heavy metal body burden can contribute to chronic disease, as well as interfere with the body's capacity to recover from illness. The five case studies presented here show that reduction in toxic heavy metals (74% average decrease) was achieved without side effects, with the use of PectaSol modified citrus pectin (MCP) (EcoNugenics; Santa Rosa, CA, USA) alone or with an MCP/alginates combination. The gradual decrease of total body heavy metal burden is believed to have played an important role in each patient's recovery and health maintenance. This is the first known documentation of evidence of such results in a clinical report of case studies with possible correlation between clinical outcome and a reduction in toxic heavy metal load in patients using MCP and/or an MCP/alginate complex.