AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES CAUSED BY AN INFECTION?

[Persej]

Everybody around me is sick and today I'm also getting the flu symptoms. Hopefully with iodine and vitamin C they will be mild and quick.

Having said that, I continue to wonder if my reaction from the last week was a real flu or not because I only had a high temperature and pain in my muscles, without other usual flu symptoms that everybody else around me have. Yesterday I had another attack of fast heart beat followed with fever that lasted a couple of minutes. However, it came a couple of minutes after the iodine, and not after the apricot kernel which I took only later in the day. In the meantime I increased the number of kernels to 3 but there were no reactions. After that I lowered again to 1, just to be sure I'm no overloading myself. Perhaps iodine and amygdaline create some interesting antimicrobial combination in the body?

I haven't felt any improvement in my health though, but for the last month or two I was losing my weight. But since I started taking the apricot kernels my weight has been slowly increasing. Those kernels are the only thing that I added to my protocol in the previous days. I will do a couple more days with these kernels before I add some more things to the protocol.

 

[Hope]

It feels like a MS flare up, can't help but think its nasty infections acting up for whatever reason.

It might be a combination of factors. Checking with the doctor is a good idea.

I feel quite better now, I think the Boswellia helped considerably so have decided to wait on going to the docs. These and other neuro symptoms have been plaguing me for years now. Going to look into antibiotics as I think its stealth infections.

Beau and altair,

I will try reduce and improve on the diet but not all can do the Keto or LC like the C's said.

Thank you!

 

[Cosmos]

There is a new paper out, that supposedly sheds new light on Autoimmunity and Infection and what exactly happens:
https://idw-online.de/de/news665938

Autoimmunity and Infections: When the Body Fights Itself
lic. phil. Christoph Dieffenbacher Kommunikation & Marketing
Universität Basel

Basel-based doctors are on the trail of a possible connection between autoimmune diseases and infections: errors can occur when immune cells absorb certain proteins from pathogen cells. These findings were reported in the journal PNAS by researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, as well as colleagues in the USA.

It is already known that there is a connection between infections and autoimmunity – the inability of an organism to recognize parts of its own body as “self”. As a result, increasing hygiene is leading to a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases in the population. It is also apparent that some autoimmune diseases are triggered by infections. However, the mechanism behind these connections is still not fully understood. One possible explanation is that the immune system confuses protein structures from pathogens with the body’s own proteins because they look structurally alike.

Errors in protein uptake

Together with colleagues from the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge (USA), the Basel-based team of researchers tested out a new hypothesis in experiments to investigate the special ability of immune cells to identify specific proteins on the surface of neighboring cells and capture them from the cell membrane. In certain cases, errors can occur in the uptake of these proteins, as the group led by Professor Tobias Derfuss has now demonstrated.

Their assumption is that certain immune cells, so-called B cells, capture not only the protein of an influenza virus for which they were specialized, but also small quantities of other neighboring membrane proteins. One example of this is a protein known as an autoantigen that originates from the cell membrane layer in the central nervous system. An immune response to this membrane protein results in an autoimmune inflammation in the brain in the animal model and may well also contribute to inflammation of this kind in humans.

Harmful immune cells

B cells cultivated with cells that had incorporated both the influenza virus protein and the membrane protein were not only able to activate other immune cells, specifically certain T cells, in order to combat the virus; they also activated T cells that had recognized the body’s own membrane protein – which can trigger autoimmune inflammation in the brain. Consequently, a viral infection could lead to the activation of autoaggressive T cells through an error in the protein uptake of B cells.

The researchers discovered this mechanism after conducting experiments using cells from genetically modified mice. “The next step would now be to examine whether similar errors occur in protein uptake by human B cells. We also want to clarify whether a viral infection in an animal can, under certain circumstances, lead to autoimmune inflammation in the brain,” says Derfuss. Corresponding follow-up projects are planned.

Original paper
Nicholas S.R. Sanderson, Maria Zimmermann, Luca Eilinger, Céline Osswald, Nicole Schaeren-Wiemers, Raija L.P. Lindberg, Stephanie K. Dougan, Hidde Ploegh, Ludwig Kappos, and Tobias Derfuss
“Co-capture of cognate and bystander antigens can activate autoreactive B cells”
PNAS, Early Edition, January 5, 2017 | doi: 10.1073/pnas.1612062114

 

[nicklebleu]

There is a new paper out, that supposedly sheds new light on Autoimmunity and Infection and what exactly happens:
https://idw-online.de/de/news665938

Autoimmunity and Infections: When the Body Fights Itself
lic. phil. Christoph Dieffenbacher Kommunikation & Marketing
Universität Basel

Basel-based doctors are on the trail of a possible connection between autoimmune diseases and infections: errors can occur when immune cells absorb certain proteins from pathogen cells. These findings were reported in the journal PNAS by researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, as well as colleagues in the USA.

It is already known that there is a connection between infections and autoimmunity – the inability of an organism to recognize parts of its own body as “self”. As a result, increasing hygiene is leading to a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases in the population. It is also apparent that some autoimmune diseases are triggered by infections. However, the mechanism behind these connections is still not fully understood. One possible explanation is that the immune system confuses protein structures from pathogens with the body’s own proteins because they look structurally alike.

Errors in protein uptake

Together with colleagues from the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge (USA), the Basel-based team of researchers tested out a new hypothesis in experiments to investigate the special ability of immune cells to identify specific proteins on the surface of neighboring cells and capture them from the cell membrane. In certain cases, errors can occur in the uptake of these proteins, as the group led by Professor Tobias Derfuss has now demonstrated.

Their assumption is that certain immune cells, so-called B cells, capture not only the protein of an influenza virus for which they were specialized, but also small quantities of other neighboring membrane proteins. One example of this is a protein known as an autoantigen that originates from the cell membrane layer in the central nervous system. An immune response to this membrane protein results in an autoimmune inflammation in the brain in the animal model and may well also contribute to inflammation of this kind in humans.

Harmful immune cells

B cells cultivated with cells that had incorporated both the influenza virus protein and the membrane protein were not only able to activate other immune cells, specifically certain T cells, in order to combat the virus; they also activated T cells that had recognized the body’s own membrane protein – which can trigger autoimmune inflammation in the brain. Consequently, a viral infection could lead to the activation of autoaggressive T cells through an error in the protein uptake of B cells.

The researchers discovered this mechanism after conducting experiments using cells from genetically modified mice. “The next step would now be to examine whether similar errors occur in protein uptake by human B cells. We also want to clarify whether a viral infection in an animal can, under certain circumstances, lead to autoimmune inflammation in the brain,” says Derfuss. Corresponding follow-up projects are planned.

Original paper
Nicholas S.R. Sanderson, Maria Zimmermann, Luca Eilinger, Céline Osswald, Nicole Schaeren-Wiemers, Raija L.P. Lindberg, Stephanie K. Dougan, Hidde Ploegh, Ludwig Kappos, and Tobias Derfuss
“Co-capture of cognate and bystander antigens can activate autoreactive B cells”
PNAS, Early Edition, January 5, 2017 | doi: 10.1073/pnas.1612062114

Thanks for the article, Pashalis!

It sounds like an interesting hypothesis. The only problem I have with this explanation is - why does that happen? It doesn't seem to me to be a full explanation. The human body has been exposed to viruses for millennia an has had time to adapt. The incidence of immune diseases seem to be rising at a frightful rate. The archaeological record doesn't indicate that immune diseases (at least those leaving marks on the skeleton), was very prevalent in the early history of mankind, in fact it seems likely to be practically absent (like other diseases like cancer). To me this indicates, that this cannot be the full explanation - another factor needs to be involved that makes this mechanism happen more readily and thus more often.

 

[Gaby]

Also, there is not much research about antimicrobial or antitumor properties of amygdalin. There is this research, but it's not free: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10068-013-0101-1

[...]
I'm attaching the article to this post. It reminds me of a couple of seemingly credible testimonials of people who managed their gliomas (aggressive brain cancer) with amygdalin.

Here is a testimonial written to my website:

[...] I was first directed to your site while researching DMSO, which I purchased and am using with great satisfication. In May 2016, my wife (65 years old) had a 4 cm malignant tumor removed from her brain, and was further diagnosed with mestathasized uterine cancer, with numerous cancer nodules throughout her body, including one 5 cm tumor in her bladder. She refused chemo and radiation, electing to die with dignity when the time comes. She was told it wouldn’t be long. Then we learned about apricot seeds, specifically Amygdalin, or Vitamin B17. Having nothing to lose, we started the seeds the end of September 2016. Today (Jan. 2017) all her symptoms are gone, and she is more upbeat and has more energy than she’s had in many years. I have also benefited, having an enlarged prostrate for over ten years, which is shrinking back to its normal size and my urination problems associated with enlarged prostrate have gone away. I wonder if Amygdalin is something you’d like to take a look at, it having even more egregious FDA and Big Pharma interference than DMSO [...]

After inquiring about the source of the amygdalin, he writes back:

There are many vendors for both the apricot seeds and Amygdalin in capsule form. I get mine from “Apricot Power,” and also from “Apricots from God.” Delivery is usually quick and always arrives in good order.

 

[Persej]

Thank you Gaby. That sounds promising! I also have “Apricot Power” seeds. I wonder if I should try it on my mother who has lymphoma.

In my case, after several weeks of taking bitter apricot seeds, unfortunately I have to say that it had no effect of my bacteria. I even took black walnut tincture because it supposedly has an synergetic effect when taken together, but it had no effect either.

So it appears that my strange experience from December was just a flu. Although I still cannot explain why I had a lack of some usual symptoms, like coughing. My lungs and throat were in great shape, unlike in many other people around me. Perhaps it was just an effect of iodine, or perhaps this amygdaline did play a role in it because amygdaline converts into thiocyanate, and thiocyanate protects the lungs:

https://cysticfibrosisnewstoday.com/2015/07/14/new-insights-suggest-thiocyanate-address-lung-inflammation-cystic-fibrosis/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3696337/

I also noticed one more thing. For some time I had a small pain in my left kidney, but that pain disappeared after I started taking these apricot seeds. But I don't know if it is connected with amygdalin. Ultrasound was never conclusive, sometimes doctor would see some sand and something nothing. MRI showed nothing.

My package with some other interesting products should arrive in a few days, and because my heart again became very weak in previous days, I decided to try something else in the meantime. I couldn't find stevia but I finally found xylitol in my country so I bought that instead. I'm taking it for a couple of days now and my heart condition improved. I don't know why, because C. Pneumonia doesn't form biofilms, for which xylitol is good at, but it's possible that I also have some other bad microbes in my body which do. Or perhaps this effect has nothing to do with biofilms.

In any case, I will add xylitol to my future protocol that I hope to start shortly.

 

[ClaudiaYG]

I am doing the protocol with Antibiotics and I am going to finished in Februrary. In november I start to have acne in my forehead and I went to the Dermatologist, she told me that I have a AcneiForm Reaction because of Complex B or B12, She gave me a cream and stop taking Complex B. What can I do? Does someone has developed a reaction like me?
Thank you!

 

[Gaby]

I am doing the protocol with Antibiotics and I am going to finished in Februrary. In november I start to have acne in my forehead and I went to the Dermatologist, she told me that I have a AcneiForm Reaction because of Complex B or B12, She gave me a cream and stop taking Complex B. What can I do? Does someone has developed a reaction like me?

B vitamins are specially important for the metro cycles because metro can cause neuropathy. If you are done with those, then I would say to stay clear from the B complex to see if the acne clears away.

Here is a testimonial that I just found:

Are B Vitamin Supplements Causing Your Acne?
_http://thelovevitamin.com/15994/b-vitamins-acne/

Appaprently it is mostly an issue of synthetic B vitamins?

 

[ClaudiaYG]

Thank You Gaby!
Yes I´m done with metro cycles and one more month of doxy and plaquenil.

 

[Persej]

So it appears that my strange experience from December was just a flu. Although I still cannot explain why I had a lack of some usual symptoms, like coughing. My lungs and throat were in great shape, unlike in many other people around me. Perhaps it was just an effect of iodine, or perhaps this amygdaline did play a role in it because amygdaline converts into thiocyanate, and thiocyanate protects the lungs:

Guess what? Amygdalin really is used for respiratory problems!

In relatively low doses, Amygdalin is believed to help treat cough and other respiratory conditions by serving as an expectorant of thick mucus. This claim has been based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice which makes apricot seeds, the main source of Amygdalin, into cough treatment.

http://www.nutriavenue.com/blog/cat/general-health/post/Amygdalin/

Well, I can certainly attest to that because my lungs and throat were in a perfect shape, even though I got a flu twice, and others around me were coughing a lot. Of course, I would have to repeat the "experiment" to be sure about that.

When it comes to cancer, I'm still not sure does it work, when it works, and how. More good research is needed for that, although there are several ones from last year that look promising. One example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26759703

 

[Persej]

I finally received my package and will start implementing the herbs in my protocol. I will try to do it, more or less, in a scientific way. That is, I will take one additional thing for several days, see if there are any changes and then add another thing. My logic is that if something is really powerful antibiotic it should show some effect after a couple of days. So far that happened only with iodine and xylitol.

When it comes to amygdalin, I gave the apricot kernels to my mother and instructed her to not take more than 10 per day and no more than 3 in one take, so she takes 9 per day (3x3). So far she hasn't complained about any side effect, except that she feels itchiness in her throat when she eats them.

 

[Persej]

I found something interesting today:

Lycotec Patented First Nutra-Pharmaceutical Drug to Treat Infection Behind Cardiovascular Disease

Lycotec Ltd., a biotech company based in Cambridge UK, _http://www.lycotec.com has filed a patent application for the first drug in the treatment of a bacterial infection which could be involved in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, CVD.

An infection as a cause of cardiovascular pathology has been sought for more than 100 years. In the last 20-25 years a number of bacteria and viruses have been identified in atherosclerotic plaques of people with CVD. One of the most reported findings was a detection of fragments, DNA and antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae, Ch. pn., the most common respiratory infection in humans.

A strong correlation has been established between the presence of signs of the infection and the severity of atherosclerosis and CVD. However, to prove that Ch. pn., is indeed a causative factor of this disease, it was necessary to demonstrate that anti-Chlamydia treatment could alleviate symptoms of cardiovascular pathology.

Numerous trials on the application of different antibiotics in patients with CVD have so far failed to achieve this.

Analysis of these unsuccessful attempts reveals two major flaws in their design. Firstly, in none of these trials was a monitoring of the elimination of Ch. pn. applied, hence there was no evidence that antibiotics used in these patients were effective in inhibiting the infection.

Secondly, protocols of the administration of these drugs were the same as used for the treatment of acute Chlamydia infection.

However, the majority of the CVD patients enrolled in these studies did not have concomitant respiratory diseases. In these patients Ch. pn. was typically present in its persistent chronic form, which can be either resistant to existing antibiotics, or require longer treatment than the acute infection.

Lycotec has developed the first drug to target the particular persistent form of Chlamydia. It blocks intra-cellular propagation of these bacteria in cell cultures. In a number of clinical studies, including randomised, double blind and placebo controlled ones, on patients with diagnosed CVD, it was demonstrated that oral administration of this drug for four weeks could in 85% patients not only reduce anti-chlamydia antibodies but also blood markers of oxidative inflammatory damage to an undetectable level.

The drug and results of its clinical trials are to be presented at the biennial CBRS Conference in Charlotte, NC, in April 2017 _http://www.chlamydiabasicresearchsociety.org/biennial-meeting.html

The drug belongs to a class of Nutra-Pharmaceuticals because its active molecule, lycopene, and its two “assisting” molecules originate from food. For example, lycopene is a red pigment of tomatoes, and some other red fruits. All the molecules can be either extracted from food or synthetized.

In its conventional form lycopene itself cannot inhibit chlamydia. It needs a chaperon, which is essential to facilitate lycopene transportation to the site of the infection. Moreover, if the infective process is accompanied by a pronounced inflammatory reaction, it is important to have in the drug formulation a co-factor which prolongs the life of lycopene, protecting it from oxidation and depletion.

Since all three molecules comprising the drug are of food origin, it is intrinsically safe due to the absence of any toxicity issue.

All the active molecules are typically present in the Mediterranean diet, which has a well-established association with reduced prevalence of and mortality from CVD.

Dr Ivan Petyaev, one of the inventors, and the founder of Lycotec, suggests that the development of the anti-chlamydia Nutra-Pharmaceutical and the demonstration of its efficacy in clinic may provide one of the explanations of how the Mediterranean diet can provide cardiovascular support and protection.

Professor Nailya Zigangirova, the co-author of the invention, points out additional new applications of the drug in the treatment of other chlamydia infections, including Chlamydia trachomatis, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Although its acute symptomatic form can be cured by existing antibiotics, its persistent asymptomatic form is still poorly treated. This in turn becomes one of the leading causes of infertility.

Lycotec is currently looking for funding, or a licensing and partnering deal with a Pharma company, to take its new patented drug for further clinical trials and regulatory approval.

_http://www.lycotec.com/lycotec-patented-first-nutra-pharmaceutical-drug-treat-infection-behind-cardiovascular-disease/

I think I know what are his two assistants. The one "which prolongs the life of lycopene" is probably vitamin C and the one "which is essential to facilitate lycopene transportation to the site of the infection" is probably lecithin from soybean. The same company makes various liposomal products, and among them is lycopene:

Ateronon Inventor Ivan Petyaev Launches New Generation of Lycopene for Ageing Population

CAMBRIDGE UK (PRWEB UK) 30 MAY 2016

Dr Ivan Petyaev of Lycotec Ltd is proud to announce that a brand new lycopene product, specifically created for the ageing population and for people with metabolic syndrome and fatty liver, is now available on the market.

Ateronon, the Cambridge ‘tomato pill’, a lycopene formulation which inhibits blood lipid oxidation, the key process behind clogging up of the arteries in atherosclerosis, was invented and patented by Dr Petyaev:

_https://www.google.com/patents/WO2003019196A2?cl=en

An independent, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial conducted by the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, with support from the Welcome Trust and the British Heart Association, demonstrated that Ateronon supplementation resulted in a 53% improvement of the vascular forearm blood flow in people who had already impaired function.

_http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0099070

Lycopene, an essential micronutrient in the human diet, is present in tomatoes, watermelon and some other red pigment fruits.

It is not only one of the strongest antioxidants in our body but it also plays an important role in supporting tissue oxygen supply /respiration and mitochondria energy production.

With age, however, when people reach 50-60 years and over, their ability to process already ingested and even absorbed lycopene is reduced. This is accompanied by the development of age-associated pathological events, even on a ‘micro’ level, such as a gradual build up of subclinical oxidative damage and subclinical hypoxia across most of the organs and tissues, with the loss of skeletal muscle and its functions.

Another group of the population with impaired lycopene processing ability are people with metabolic syndrome, fatty liver and obesity.

A further reason why the level of lycopene could be lowered in the body, despite sufficient dietary intake and processing, is its accelerated depletion. This typically occurs during the development of chronic pathologies such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, etc.

These lycopene deficiencies and depletions, which are widespread in the ageing population, were described in a recent review by Dr Petyaev: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26881023

and also presented last week at the international Gordon Research Conference on Carotenoids.

In an attempt to expand the success of his first product and to create a new generation of not only lycopene, but also some other dietary supplements specifically designed for people over 50 years with impaired and/or fatty liver, it was necessary to find a new solution.

To this end Dr Petyaev created a new R&D company Lycotec, which is based in Cambridge UK.

_http://www.lycotec.com

After more years of research and clinical studies, the company has developed a brand new technology, which, among other innovations, includes involvement of chaperone molecules essential for lycopene processing in the liver and its further transportation to other organs.

This new generation of lycopene was tested in clinic on target population groups. Studies showed superior efficacy of this new product, not only over Ateronon, but also over other world leading lycopene brands, none of which were developed for people with impairment in processing this molecule.

The new lycopene product is now on the market under two brand names.

The first is ‘Carocelle Lycopene’ available worldwide from Cambridge Micelle Technology Ltd. _http://www.carocelle-technology.com/en/lycopene

The second is ‘MedVital Bio-Lycopene’available from MedVital Inc and across US in GNC

_http://www.gnc.com/F1RST-MedVital-Bio-Lycopene/product.jsp?productId=74219596

So it seems to me that this is basically a liposomal lycopene, like a vitamin C that we talked about on the forum.

And take a look at this paper:

Lycopene liposomes

In order to improve the stability of antioxidants, liposomal formulations are being developed [6]. Liposome delivery systems are potential candidates for biocompatible, biodegradable, and nontoxic artificial phospholipid vesicles that offer the possibility of carrying hydrophilic, hydrophobic molecules. In our study, lycopene liposomes are prepared using lecithin (3%), cholesterol (0.3%), and water phase of 74.5%. In the formulation, lycopene can be incorporated into the lipid bilayer of the liposome [7,8]. Incorporation of lycopene into liposomes not only reduced lipid damage but also slowed the oxidation of lycopene [9].

Our experiment showed that lycopene in liposomes was stable for at least 3 months at room conditions. Further studies on solubility revealed that lycopene can encapsulated up to concentration of 200 µg/ml with menthyl anthranilate as the solvent. Moreover, liposomes containing ascorbic acid showed a significant stability improvement of lycopene. The ability for precise adjustments of lycopene liposome parameters such as size, charge, lipid composition, and the conjugation of ligands coupled with the more efficient and loading techniques offers the possibility to make liposomes an effective platform for the delivery of lycopene.

In summary, lycopene in liposomal formulations could be stable, and hold great promises in the treatment of many diseases in which oxidative stress plays a significant role. Liposomes are highly efficient in terms of facilitating antioxidant delivery and achieving prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies against oxidative stress-induced damage and aging.

_https://www.esciencecentral.org/journals/promotion-of-the-stability-of-lycopene-by-liposomal-formulations-for-antiaging-therapy-2329-8847.1000e113.php?aid=31423

So, theoretically, I could make a home-made mixture of liposomal vitamin C with lycopene?

 

[Persej]

It's probably not a good idea to make it at home because you can't buy a pure lycopene. I could buy the already made version if I could find it in some online store that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for international delivery.

Anyway, the same group discovered that Roquefort cheese inhibits C. pneumoniae, so I might try that in the meantime: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3655667/

_http://www.lycotec.com/french-lifestyle-secret-finally-revealed-lycotec-publishes-unexpected-findings-on-roquefort-cheese/

 

[Persej]

About French paradox from another perspective:

January 14, 2004

French paradox explained?

A letter to the December 2003 issue of the journal Atherosclerosis offered a possible explanation for the so-called French paradox, which is so named because of the apparent paradox of the relatively low incidence of heart disease among the French, who consume a greater amount of fatty foods than the populations of many other countries. It has been hypothesized that the frequent consumption of red wine by the French may be responsible for offering a degree of protection against coronary heart disease (CHD).

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago studied the effect of a methanol soluble pinot noir red wine extract, a concentrated extract, and resveratrol from red wine on two strains of cultured cells infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium responsible for up to 30 percent of acute respiratory tract infections that has also been found to be associated with atherosclerotic plaque development and coronary heart disease. Both the concentrated pinot noir extract and the resveratrol proved to be active against the two Chlamydia strains.

The first time that red wine extracts and resveratrol had been reported to be active against a human pathogen was in 2001, when two of the researchers involved in the current study found that the compounds inhibited the growth of the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori. The authors conclude that, “the French Paradox may be due in part to the beneficial effects of red wine consumption on development and progression of CHD through its antimicrobial activity on C. pneumoniae.” ( Schriever C et al, “Red wine, resveratrol , Chlamydia pneumoniae and the French connection,” Atherosclerosis 171 (2003) 379-380.

http://www.lifeextension.com/WhatsHot/2004/1/C-reactive-protein-directly-involved-in-inflammation/Page-01#fpe

I think that this is that study:

In vitro susceptibility of Chlamydia pneumonia to red wine extracts and resveratrol

G.B. Mahady a,b, C. Schriever a, L.R. Chadwick b, S.L. Pendland
Department of Pharmacy Practice, b Program for Collaborative Research In the Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois
at Chicago, 833 S. Wood Street M/C 877, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the number one cause of death globally, with approximately 12 million
people dying annually due to its consequences. Recent research idicates that atherosclerosis has an infectious
component, and seroepidemiological data indicate that there is a strong association between chronic Chlamydia
pneumoniae (CP) infections and CHD. CP is an intracellular gram-negative pathogen and is known as a leading
cause of human acute respiratory tract infections worldwide. The infection generally starts in the respiratory tract
and probably disseminates systemically in the blood stream within alveolar macrophages. Our previous investigations
have demonstrated that red wine and resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene), a phytoalexin found in grape
skin, inhibit the growth of another gram-negative bacterium, Helicobacter pylori in vitro. In this report, the activity
of various red wine extracts and resveratrol were assessed on the proliferation of Chlamydia pneumoniae in
Hep 2 cells in vitro. Both the methanol soluble and methanol-insoluble extract of red wine inhibited the growth of
C. pneumonia, with a minimum inhibitory concentration range of 100-500 μg/ml. Resveratrol also inhibited the
growth of two C. pneumonia strains with an MIC range of 6.25 to 50 μg/ml, thereby demonstrating significant
activity. This work suggests that in addition to other biological mechanisms, red wine and resveratrol may reduce
cardiovascular risk by inhibiting the growth of C. pneumonia.

Of course, the problem with the resveratrol is poor bioavailability. Which scientists now claim to be solved with liposomal resveratrol. Which, interestingly, is something that the previously mentioned company that makes liposomal lycopene also have in their line of products: _http://medvitalnutrition.com/bio-resveratrol/

So, I think that they already have a product for C. Pneumonia. The three agents are: lycopene, resveratrol and lecithin. The only thing is that I don't know how lycopene fits in that group because there is no research about interaction of lycopene with Cpn. But maybe they found something.

 

[Persej]

I found something interesting about lycopene:

Lycopene-Induced Hydroxyl Radical Causes Oxidative DNA Damage in Escherichia coli

Lycopene has been proven to possess antioxidative capacity against endogenous and H2O2-induced ROS [7]. However, it was also shown in a cultured human colon cancer cell line that at higher incubation concentrations (>2 μg/ml), lycopene loses its antioxidative properties and may generate oxidative DNA damage instead [19]. On the basis of these reports, we next investigated whether lycopene induces oxidative stress at the MIC of lycopene in E. coli, because this bacterial strain resides in the colon epithelium of mammals. (...)

In this experiment, the results indicate that lycopene induced accumulation of OH in E. coli. (...)

Through the DAPI staining, we confirmed chromosome condensation, indicating replication arrest [10], and the results strongly support that lycopene triggers DNA damage in E. coli cells as a result of the intracellular OH accumulations. (...)

In the present study, we characterized many aspects of lycopene-induced bacterial cell death, including OH accumulation, double-strand DNA breaks, cell division arrest, and activation of the SOS response (Fig. 5). Our findings suggest that lycopene has a novel mechanism of antibacterial action, which is the ROS-mediated DNA damage in bacteria, and that it shows potential to be used in antimicrobial therapy.

http://www.jmb.or.kr/journal/viewJournal.html?doi=10.4014/jmb.1406.06009

So it seems that lycopene, just like vitamin C, can switch from anti-oxidant to pro-oxidant, once it reaches the sufficient quantity in the body. However, just like vitamin C, you cannot create a sufficient amount in your blood through the standard intestinal absorption. Therefore, you need to take it in a liposomal form.

And it seems that these guys found out that lycopene in sufficient amount can also kill Cpn, so that is why they increased the amount of lycopene in their new version of the product. Previous version had 7 mg and the new one has 10 mg. And now they want to advertise it as a Cpn killer. But we will have to wait until April for more info.