4 replies to this topic

[lucid]

Broccoli Could Reverse Diabetes Heart Damage
UK researchers said that eating brocolli could reverse the damage done to heart blood vessels by diabetes because the vegetable contains a compound called sulforaphane that they tested in the lab and found it increased enzymes that protect heart blood vessels and reduced the molecules that damage them.

The study is the work of Professor Paul Thornalley and colleagues at the University of Warwick, and is published in the online 4th August issue of the journal Diabetes.

People with diabetes have a five times greater risk of developing heart disease and stroke, primarily because of damage to heart blood vessels from having about three times the normal level of circulating oxidative molecules called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) caused by having high blood glucose (hyperglycaemia).

From previous studies, the researchers already knew that eating lots of vegetables, and brassicas like brocolli in particular, was significantly linked to lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and wondered if this had anything to do with the presence of sulforaphane which is known to activate a protein called nrf2 (short for NF-E2-related factor-2) that switches on genes that increase antioxidants and a number of protective and metabolic enzymes.

For this particular study, Thornalley and colleagues wanted to find out if activating nrf2 using sulforaphane would prevent metabolic dysfunction under conditions of hyperglycemia in the type of cells found in heart blood vessels. So they cultured human microvascular HMEC-1 endothelial cells in low and high glucose concentrations (3 and 30 mMole) and assessed the effect of adding sulforaphane on multiple pathways of biochemical dysfunction, increases in ROS, and other metabolic processes.

The results showed that:

• There was a significant reduction in ROS molecules.
• Sulforaphane reversed the increase in ROS caused by hyperglycemia by 73 per cent.
• Sulforaphane doubled the activation of nrf2, leading to increased production of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes in human microvascular cells.

The authors concluded that:

"Activation of nrf2 may prevent biochemical dysfunction and related functional responses of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia in which increased expression of transketolase has a pivotal role."

(Transkelotase, is a key enzyme that changes potentially damaging glucose byproducts into harmless compounds for safe elimination.)

In a separate statement, Thornalley said that the study:

"Suggests that compounds such as sulforaphane from broccoli may help counter processes linked to the development of vascular disease in diabetes. "

He said he fully expected further studies to show that eating a diet rich in brassicas would be highly beneficial to patients with diabetes.

However, Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, cautioned that findings based on research done on cells in the lab is a long way from trials in real human subjects. But he was encouraged by the study, and told the BBC that it was good to see that:

"Professor Thornalley and his team have identified a potentially important substance that may protect and repair blood vessels from the damaging effects of diabetes."

Frame said it could also support the idea that eating brocolli is good for you.

"Activation of NF-E2-related factor-2 reverses biochemical dysfunction of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia linked to vascular disease."
Mingzhan Xue, Qingwen Qian, Adaikalakoteswari Antonysunil, Naila Rabbani, Roya Babaei-Jadidi, and Paul J. Thornalley
Diabetes published online on August 4, 2008, as db06-1003

http://www.medicalne...cles/117455.php

Actual Study:

Activation of NF-E2-related factor-2 reverses biochemical dysfunction of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia linked to vascular disease

OBJECTIVE–: Sulforaphane (SFN) is an activator of transcription factor NF-E2-related factor-2 (nrf2) that regulates gene expression through the promoter antioxidant response element (ARE). Nrf2 regulates the transcription of a battery of protective and metabolic enzymes. The aim of this study was to assess if activation of nrf2 by SFN in human microvascular endothelial cells prevents metabolic dysfunction in hyperglycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS–: Human microvascular HMEC-1 endothelial cells were incubated in low and high glucose concentrations (5 and 30 mM) and activation of nrf2 assessed by nuclear translocation. The effect of SFN on multiple pathways of biochemical dysfunction, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, hexosamine pathway, protein kinase C pathway and increased formation of methylglyoxal, was assessed.

RESULTS–: Activation of nrf2 by SFN induced nuclear translocation of nrf2 and increased ARE-linked gene expression. For example, 3 - 5 fold increased expression of transketolase and glutathione reductase. Hyperglycemia increased the formation of ROS – an effect linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and prevented by SFN. ROS formation was increased further by knockdown of nrf2 and transketolase expression. This also abolished the counteracting effect of SFN, suggesting mediation by nrf2 and related increase of transketolase expression. SFN also prevented hyperglycemia-induced activation of the hexosamine and protein kinase C pathways, and prevented increased cellular accumulation and excretion of the glycating agent, methylglyoxal.

CONCLUSION–: We conclude that activation of nrf2 may prevent biochemical dysfunction and related functional responses of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia in which increased expression of transketolase has a pivotal role.

http://diabetes.diab...act/db06-1003v2

I have no idea if you can get thereputic doses of sulforaphane in brocolli, maybe I'll look that up tomorrow. Intersesting though.

[woly]

Linus pauling inst website has isothiocyanate content in certain foods
link

[ReGenesis]

Broccoli Could Reverse Diabetes Heart Damage
UK researchers said that eating brocolli could reverse the damage done to heart blood vessels by diabetes because the vegetable contains a compound called sulforaphane that they tested in the lab and found it increased enzymes that protect heart blood vessels and reduced the molecules that damage them.

The study is the work of Professor Paul Thornalley and colleagues at the University of Warwick, and is published in the online 4th August issue of the journal Diabetes.

People with diabetes have a five times greater risk of developing heart disease and stroke, primarily because of damage to heart blood vessels from having about three times the normal level of circulating oxidative molecules called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) caused by having high blood glucose (hyperglycaemia).

From previous studies, the researchers already knew that eating lots of vegetables, and brassicas like brocolli in particular, was significantly linked to lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and wondered if this had anything to do with the presence of sulforaphane which is known to activate a protein called nrf2 (short for NF-E2-related factor-2) that switches on genes that increase antioxidants and a number of protective and metabolic enzymes.

For this particular study, Thornalley and colleagues wanted to find out if activating nrf2 using sulforaphane would prevent metabolic dysfunction under conditions of hyperglycemia in the type of cells found in heart blood vessels. So they cultured human microvascular HMEC-1 endothelial cells in low and high glucose concentrations (3 and 30 mMole) and assessed the effect of adding sulforaphane on multiple pathways of biochemical dysfunction, increases in ROS, and other metabolic processes.

The results showed that:

• There was a significant reduction in ROS molecules.
• Sulforaphane reversed the increase in ROS caused by hyperglycemia by 73 per cent.
• Sulforaphane doubled the activation of nrf2, leading to increased production of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes in human microvascular cells.

The authors concluded that:

"Activation of nrf2 may prevent biochemical dysfunction and related functional responses of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia in which increased expression of transketolase has a pivotal role."

(Transkelotase, is a key enzyme that changes potentially damaging glucose byproducts into harmless compounds for safe elimination.)

In a separate statement, Thornalley said that the study:

"Suggests that compounds such as sulforaphane from broccoli may help counter processes linked to the development of vascular disease in diabetes. "

He said he fully expected further studies to show that eating a diet rich in brassicas would be highly beneficial to patients with diabetes.

However, Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, cautioned that findings based on research done on cells in the lab is a long way from trials in real human subjects. But he was encouraged by the study, and told the BBC that it was good to see that:

"Professor Thornalley and his team have identified a potentially important substance that may protect and repair blood vessels from the damaging effects of diabetes."

Frame said it could also support the idea that eating brocolli is good for you.

"Activation of NF-E2-related factor-2 reverses biochemical dysfunction of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia linked to vascular disease."
Mingzhan Xue, Qingwen Qian, Adaikalakoteswari Antonysunil, Naila Rabbani, Roya Babaei-Jadidi, and Paul J. Thornalley
Diabetes published online on August 4, 2008, as db06-1003

http://www.medicalne...cles/117455.php

Actual Study:

Activation of NF-E2-related factor-2 reverses biochemical dysfunction of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia linked to vascular disease

OBJECTIVE–: Sulforaphane (SFN) is an activator of transcription factor NF-E2-related factor-2 (nrf2) that regulates gene expression through the promoter antioxidant response element (ARE). Nrf2 regulates the transcription of a battery of protective and metabolic enzymes. The aim of this study was to assess if activation of nrf2 by SFN in human microvascular endothelial cells prevents metabolic dysfunction in hyperglycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS–: Human microvascular HMEC-1 endothelial cells were incubated in low and high glucose concentrations (5 and 30 mM) and activation of nrf2 assessed by nuclear translocation. The effect of SFN on multiple pathways of biochemical dysfunction, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, hexosamine pathway, protein kinase C pathway and increased formation of methylglyoxal, was assessed.

RESULTS–: Activation of nrf2 by SFN induced nuclear translocation of nrf2 and increased ARE-linked gene expression. For example, 3 - 5 fold increased expression of transketolase and glutathione reductase. Hyperglycemia increased the formation of ROS – an effect linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and prevented by SFN. ROS formation was increased further by knockdown of nrf2 and transketolase expression. This also abolished the counteracting effect of SFN, suggesting mediation by nrf2 and related increase of transketolase expression. SFN also prevented hyperglycemia-induced activation of the hexosamine and protein kinase C pathways, and prevented increased cellular accumulation and excretion of the glycating agent, methylglyoxal.

CONCLUSION–: We conclude that activation of nrf2 may prevent biochemical dysfunction and related functional responses of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia in which increased expression of transketolase has a pivotal role.

http://diabetes.diab...act/db06-1003v2

I have no idea if you can get thereputic doses of sulforaphane in brocolli, maybe I'll look that up tomorrow. Intersesting though.

[ReGenesis]

Apparently the Sulforaphane found in broccoli vegetable is found in much higher concentrations in the broccoli sprout. About 50 times higher. This seems to be because its precursor, glucorpahanin is in higest concentration in the seed and then as the seed grows, it is 'diluted' in the growing vegetable. The seed itself contains a toxin, erucic acid, so is not a safe option as source of sulforaphane's precursor, glucorphanin. Apparently a powdered broccoli sprout product which yields 1% sulforaphane on consumption will increase cellular glutathione levels by around 150%. This equates to about 2 grams of such a powder. I found this and other interesting information on www.enduracell.com. Sulforaphane is the compound which actiavtes the Nrf2 mentioned in the article above and is thought to be the most powerful inducer of this compound and therefore the most powerful inducer of the Antioxidant Response Element which includes the detoxification enzymes of the cell.

Edited by ReGenesis, 22 January 2009 - 06:30 AM.

[stayin_alive]

Broccoli Could Reverse Diabetes Heart Damage
UK researchers said that eating brocolli could reverse the damage done to heart blood vessels by diabetes because the vegetable contains a compound called sulforaphane that they tested in the lab and found it increased enzymes that protect heart blood vessels and reduced the molecules that damage them.

The study is the work of Professor Paul Thornalley and colleagues at the University of Warwick, and is published in the online 4th August issue of the journal Diabetes.

While trying to find out exactly when to harvest broccoli sprouts (72 hours from start time, or 72 hours after seedlings occur - 24-36 hour difference, which equates to a significant drop in the goodness!) I found the following article.

http://www.diabetesh...tive-abilities/

It turns out that the BBC was doing a bit of hasty generalizing: Although sulforaphane is found in broccoli, researchers have come nowhere near to saying that eating the vegetable will reproduce the effects they saw in the lab.

Scientists at the University of Warwick and the University of Essex in England took blood vessel cells from non-diabetic persons and incubated some in high levels of sugar and others in low levels. The cells incubated in high levels of sugar suffered extensive damage, much like what happens in people with uncontrolled diabetes.

The researchers then applied sulforaphane directly to the damaged vessels. They found that sulforaphane activated a protein called nrf2 that caused a 300 to 500 percent increase in activity by enzymes (transketolase and glutathione reductase) that protect against cellular damage.

Incubation in high levels of sugar had caused a 300 percent increase in the presence of a free radical called reactive oxygen species (ROS), associated with cell damage. The presence of sulforaphane reduced ROS by 73 percent.

The researchers concluded that sulforaphane might eventually be useful in preventing blood vessel damage from high blood sugar, but noted that they have not yet tested it on patients with diabetes. They also said that it was way too early to conclude that sulforaphane could reverse—as opposed to stop—damage to injured vessels.

Where the BBC Erred

The BBC’s confusion came about in two ways: The first was when the researchers compared the concentrations of sulforaphane they used to the amounts that would be found in a person’s system after eating a helping of broccoli. What was intended as an easy-to-understand measure was misinterpreted by the BBC as an actual recommendation about eating broccoli.

The second was the leap of logic that the BBC made when it ignored the fact that the blood vessels under study did not come from people with diabetes and that the effects of sulforaphane appeared to be preventive, not restorative.

So, if you come across any articles touting the curative affects of broccoli, take them with a grain of salt.

Or maybe some pepper and a twist of lemon.

Edited by stayin_alive, 18 April 2009 - 03:38 AM.