ascorbic acid https://www.fiteyes.com/taxonomy/term/654/all en Scientists Discover New Role for Vitamin C in the Eye and the Brain https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/dave/scientists-discover-new-role-for-vitamin-c-in-the-eye-and-the-brain <div class="sharethis-buttons"><div class="sharethis-wrapper"><span st_url="https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/dave/scientists-discover-new-role-for-vitamin-c-in-the-eye-and-the-brain" st_title="Scientists%20Discover%20New%20Role%20for%20Vitamin%20C%20in%20the%20Eye%20and%20the%20Brain" class="st_facebook_large" displayText="facebook"></span> <span st_url="https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/dave/scientists-discover-new-role-for-vitamin-c-in-the-eye-and-the-brain" st_title="Scientists%20Discover%20New%20Role%20for%20Vitamin%20C%20in%20the%20Eye%20and%20the%20Brain" class="st_twitter_large" displayText="twitter" st_via="" st_username=""></span> <span st_url="https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/dave/scientists-discover-new-role-for-vitamin-c-in-the-eye-and-the-brain" st_title="Scientists%20Discover%20New%20Role%20for%20Vitamin%20C%20in%20the%20Eye%20and%20the%20Brain" class="st_sharethis_large" displayText="sharethis" st_via="" st_username=""></span> </div></div> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Optic nerve cells require <a href="http://estore.fiteyes.com/search?q=%22vitamin%20C%22">vitamin C</a> in order to function properly. Henrique von Gersdorff, Ph.D., a senior scientist at OHSU's Vollum Institute and a co-author of a new study showing how essential vitamin C is in retinal nerve cells had this to say:</p> <blockquote><p><strong>We found that cells in the retina need to be 'bathed' in relatively high doses of <a href="http://estore.fiteyes.com/search?q=%22vitamin%20C%22">vitamin C</a>, inside and out, to function proper</strong>ly.</p> </blockquote> <p>These new findings could have implications for <strong>glaucoma</strong>. Glaucoma involves a dysfunction of nerve cells in the retina and brain that become over excited in part because GABA receptors may not be functioning properly.</p> <p>von Gersdorff continues, "For example, maybe a vitamin C-rich diet could be neuroprotective for the retina -- for people who are especially prone to glaucoma. This is speculative and there is much to learn. But this research provides some important insights and will lead to the generation of new hypotheses and potential treatment strategies."</p> <p>Here is the abstract of the new research study:</p> <p>Allosteric Modulation of Retinal GABA Receptors by Ascorbic Acid<br /><br />    Cecilia I. Calero1,*,<br />    Evan Vickers2,*,<br />    Gustavo Moraga Cid3,<br />    Luis G. Aguayo3,<br />    Henrique von Gersdorff2, and<br />    Daniel J. Calvo1<br /><br />Abstract<br /><br />Ionotropic GABA receptors (GABAA and GABAC) belong to the Cys-loop receptor family of ligand-gated ion channels. GABAC receptors are highly expressed in the retina, mainly localized at the axon terminals of bipolar cells. Ascorbic acid, an endogenous redox agent, modulates the function of diverse proteins, and basal levels of ascorbic acid in the retina are very high. However, the effect of ascorbic acid on retinal GABA receptors has not been studied. Here we show that the function of GABAC and GABAA receptors is regulated by ascorbic acid. Patch-clamp recordings from bipolar cell terminals in goldfish retinal slices revealed that GABAC receptor-mediated currents activated by tonic background levels of extracellular GABA, and GABAC currents elicited by local GABA puffs, are both significantly enhanced by ascorbic acid. In addition, a significant rundown of GABA puff-evoked currents was observed in the absence of ascorbic acid. GABA-evoked Cl− currents mediated by homomeric ρ1 GABAC receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes were also potentiated by ascorbic acid in a concentration-dependent, stereo-specific, reversible, and voltage-independent manner. Studies involving the chemical modification of sulfhydryl groups showed that the two Cys-loop cysteines and histidine 141, all located in the ρ1 subunit extracellular domain, each play a key role in the modulation of GABAC receptors by ascorbic acid. Additionally, we show that retinal GABAA IPSCs and heterologously expressed GABAA receptor currents are similarly augmented by ascorbic acid. Our results suggest that ascorbic acid may act as an endogenous agent capable of potentiating GABAergic neurotransmission in the CNS.<br /><br />Copyright © 2011 the authors 0270-6474/11/319672-11$15.00/0</p> <p>+ Author Affiliations<br /><br />    1Laboratorio de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CP 1428, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina,<br />    2The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, and<br />    3Laboratorio de Neurofisiología, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile<br /><br />Author contributions: C.I.C., E.V., H.v.G., and D.J.C. designed research; C.I.C., E.V., G.M.-C., and D.J.C. performed research; L.G.A. contributed unpublished reagents/analytic tools; C.I.C., E.V., H.v.G., and D.J.C. analyzed data; E.V., H.v.G., and D.J.C. wrote the paper.<br /><br />    ↵*C.I.C. and E.V. contributed equally to this work.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline inline clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Filed Under (tags): </h3><ul class="links inline"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/tags/glaucoma">glaucoma</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1"><a href="/tags/optic-nerve">optic nerve</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2"><a href="/tags/retina">retina</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3"><a href="/tags/vitamin-c">Vitamin C</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-4"><a href="/tags/brain">brain</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-5"><a href="/tags/ascorbic-acid">ascorbic acid</a></li></ul></div> Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:57:49 +0000 dave 1056 at https://www.fiteyes.com Glaucoma cure/prevention https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/profbush/glaucoma-cureprevention <div class="sharethis-buttons"><div class="sharethis-wrapper"><span st_url="https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/profbush/glaucoma-cureprevention" st_title="Glaucoma%20cure%2Fprevention" class="st_facebook_large" displayText="facebook"></span> <span st_url="https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/profbush/glaucoma-cureprevention" st_title="Glaucoma%20cure%2Fprevention" class="st_twitter_large" displayText="twitter" st_via="" st_username=""></span> <span st_url="https://www.fiteyes.com/blog/profbush/glaucoma-cureprevention" st_title="Glaucoma%20cure%2Fprevention" class="st_sharethis_large" displayText="sharethis" st_via="" st_username=""></span> </div></div> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>In the Rome University Eye Clinic in 1966 the usual number of primary open angle glaucoma cases existed who were unresponsive to any combination of medical therapies. In desperation, Virno et al., found an old paper describing a 1mm reduction with 1 gram of ascorbic acid (vitamin C.) Virno must have read the work of Dr. Fred Klenner MD FCCP who cured 59 cases of polio with injected sodium ascorbate for he then administered 7,500mgs 4 times/day (30 grams) orally, and was overjoyed to find the victims' pressures down and saving sight.</p> <p>Aware that this would draw heavy criticism in some countries opposed to the use of vitamin C, Prof, Bietti, the then head of the clinic, repeated the study in exactly the same way with almost exactly the same result. In his conclusion to the second published paper, he commented that very unusually, the pressures stayed down after cessation of the vitamin. Senescence (slow healing) as is commented on in this forum, is a sign of scurvy.</p> <p>The two studies that were designed to benefit from the 'osmolarity' of the larger doses of vitamin C ( Dr. Robert F. Cathcart's bowel tolerance effect may have also have helped) ended with Prof Bietti hypothesising that more than osmolarity was involved in the successful outcome. He could see no option other than to suggest that actual repair of the trabeculum had taken place. In my own clinic it is many years since we had a case of glaucoma. In March 1979 I published a paper in the UK 'Optician' journal, describing the use of the first pneumotonometer to come into the UK. I found double the then quoted incidence of the disease, a fact noted in many BBC news broadcasts which led almost overnight, because of public pressure on Optometrists, to the introduction of tonometry by UK Optometrists. I believe that our zero incidence of glaucoma is connected to our zero incidence of contact lens related dry eye (we are the only UK practice with no comfort drops?) and all patients can purchase and use 200 gram pots of sodium ascorbate powder - the purest non-acid form of vitamin C. The practice is also the only one apparently in the world, in which reversals of arterial disease are noted to exist, persisting since 1998 when the first UK electronic fundus camera was installed, I am retiring soon to concentrate on nutritional reversal of arterial disease by CardioRetinometry but must note the stiff opposition encountered from physicians and ophthalmologists to all my findings.</p> <p>Nobody has published any images on the Internet and now I have supported these still unique photographs, with 100 from 200 written testimonials from people who are delighted with their rejuvenated arteries. </p> <p>Appeals for research funding from every medical source have been refused. In July 2008, I was forbidden to advise NHS patients that arterial disease is reversible on pain of being banned from the UK Health Service, Unable to practise without a new, withheld NHS contract, I finally rejected the offer of a conditional contract in 1998, in order to be true to my beliefs and the photographic evidence. On 2nd Decmber 2009 the British Medical Association invited me to speak and I showed many photographs which have relevance to glaucoma. My fee for the lecture was withheld.</p> <p>Peer review has only been possible by publishing 'before and after' arterial images on the Internet since medical journals refuse (as also Optometry jorunals) to enter these troubled waters. These images received wide piublicity on the 'Bolen Report' twice. All show reduced cholesterol plaques inside trhe arteries. How can we see inside arteries? Because like aquarium tropical fish that can be transparent, the microvasculature of the retina is largely transparent.</p> <p>Linus Pauling and cardiologist Dr. Matthias Rath MD, after publishing the Pauling Therapy for the non-surgical reversal of coronary artery disease and the Unified theory of coronary artery disease, were unable to devise a means of completing their studies in vivo. My discovery, acclaimed by Dr. Kenneth Walker MD (Toronto) Dr. Owen Fonorow and other authorities who have made the trip from N. America to verify the database of images and testimonials, makes it easy to measure arterial disease regression (and growth.)</p> <p>The peripapillary retinal perfusion is rmarkedly improved in virtually every case and - interestingly, we are now finding reversals of 'nasal shift' of the central artery of the retina. This shows that the eye was developing glaucoma which has been aborted as 'nasal shift' is pathognomonic of POAG. It was the search for the first signs of nasal shift utilizing the magnification provided by the new elctronics, that led to the discovery of changes WITHIN the central artery of the retina.</p> <p>I think it was Sir Alexander Fleming (Penicillin) who said that one often makes a discovery when one is really looking for something else.</p> <p> <meta charset="utf-8" /><b>Dr. Sydney J Bush PhD., D.Opt, IOSc (London)</b> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-2 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline inline clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Filed Under (tags): </h3><ul class="links inline"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/tags/glaucoma">glaucoma</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1"><a href="/tags/vitamin-c">Vitamin C</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2"><a href="/tags/ascorbic-acid">ascorbic acid</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3"><a href="/tags/cardioretinometry">CardioRetinometry</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-4"><a href="/tags/cholesterol">cholesterol</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-5"><a href="/tags/arterial-plaques">arterial plaques</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-6"><a href="/tags/osmolarity">osmolarity</a></li></ul></div> Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:34:32 +0000 profbush 855 at https://www.fiteyes.com