Filho down with steroids: Mousasi

Brazilian submission specialist Paulo Filho is down with steroids as remarked by Gegard Mousasi, the newly crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and otherwise a very soft-spoken and calm guy.

In a recent interview that Tatame.com, Filho said "[Mousasi] doesn't have my strength, he doesn't have my level on the ground. He can be a better striker, but he doesn't have my strength and he'll go down once and be submitted."

From CBSSports.com:

Mousasi apparently believes that Filho's strength comes from "special powers," and he doesn't mean that Filho was bit by a radioactive spider, as he explained in an interview with Fighters.com.

"What happened when he came to America? He got beat up, now he's back in Japan and he feels like a kid in a candy store I think. He can use all kinds of steroids. I think the steroids have gone to his head.

"He didn't perform the same as he does in Japan as in America, and now he suddenly has a big mouth again."

Referring specifically to Filho's recent loss to Chael Sonnen on American soil, Mousasi speculated, "I think he wasn't feeling very good mentally because he cannot use his magic stuff.

"I would say that he's a little donkey on steroids that thinks he's a running horse now, but he's more like a little pony."

Mousasi said that he would not face Filho unless drug tests are conducted.

Rituximab can help patients with Graves' eye disease

Rituximab, which is presently being used for treatment of autoimmune diseases, may also prove its worth when it comes to treating Graves' eye disease.

Raymond S. Douglas, M.D., Ph.D., an oculoplastics specialist who recently joined the faculty of the U-M Kellogg Eye Center, remarked on the potential of this drug in the online October issue of Ophthalmology.

It was noticed that inflammation around the eyes and damage to the optic nerve got minimized to a considerable extent when the drug rituximab was administered to the affected patients.

From News-Medical.Net:

Graves' eye disease is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and fatty deposits in the eye muscles and connective tissue surrounding the eye. Among the symptoms are pronounced bulging eyes, retracted eyelids, dry eyes, and, in severe cases, loss of vision. Women are more likely than men to develop the disease.

The study suggests that rituximab is a potentially effective new treatment for the most severe forms of Graves' eye disease. "These patients had already received the maximum level of steroid treatment," says Douglas. "Treatment with rituximab calmed inflammation, stopped progression of the disease, and saved the patients from having to undergo surgery."

Rituximab has been used to treat patients with other autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and in non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma. The drug works by depleting B cells-the body's normal antibody-producing cells-that appear to go awry in autoimmune diseases.

Douglas was hopeful of the fact that rituximab can provide sustain improvements and offer a point in continuing with proceeding with a large-scale clinical trial to test the promising drug. It was however remarked that high doses of steroids may still be the first line treatment in a combination with orbital radiation.

Diabetes-related eye diseases may be treated with steroids

According to a new study that was led by researcher Dr Neil M. Bressler of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, steroids when injected directly into the eye can help in treating Diabetic retinopathy, which is a complication of diabetes and results in vision loss and blindness.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy occurs when new blood vessels are formed on the optic disc or another component of the retina. The study highlighted that there is a need for further studies in identifying other treatment though laser treatments may reduce the risk of vision loss while control of blood glucose can prevent the development of retinopathy.

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

"Use of this intravitreal [injected into the eye] corticosteroid preparation to reduce the likelihood of progression of retinopathy is not warranted at this time because of the increased risk of glaucoma and cataract associated with intravitreal steroid use," the authors write.
"Any treatment to be used routinely to prevent proliferative diabetic retinopathy likely needs to be relatively safe because the condition already can be treated successfully and safely with panretinal photocoagulation.
“Nevertheless, further investigation with regard to the role of pharmacotherapy for reduction of the incidence of progression of retinopathy appears to be warranted," they added.

The study appeared in journal Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Rituximab can prove useful for treating membranous nephropathy

According to findings appearing in the April 2009 print issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), Rituximab can prove its usefulness in treating patients with membranous nephropathy, a kidney disorder.

It is important to note that present treatment options for treating this ailment are calcineurin inhibitors, steroids, and chemotherapeutic agents, all of which have some side effects.

Andrew Bomback, MD (University of North Carolina Kidney Center), and his colleagues after conducting the first systematic review of rituximab use in patients with membranous nephropathy evaluated the effect of rituximab when it comes to curing patients struggling against nephropathy.

From News-Medical.Net:

To investigate rituximab's potential, Andrew Bomback, MD (University of North Carolina Kidney Center), and his colleagues conducted the first systematic review of rituximab use in patients with membranous nephropathy. They collected and analyzed all of the data available on rituximab therapy in this patient population. They found 21 articles to date, all of which were either case reports or case series without controls, meaning that patients taking rituximab were studied for a certain length of time but were not compared with patients not taking the drug.

Dr. Bomback remarked further that further studies are needed for finding the true and complete value of this drug and the usage must be done in research setting till then.

APP Pharmaceuticals to sell Chlorothiazide Sodium in injectable form

An approval has been received from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., (NASDAQ:APCVZ), for the marketing of Chlorothiazide Sodium for Injection, USP.

This injectable form of Chlorothiazide Sodium is expected to be launched by APP in the fourth quarter of 2009.

From News-Medical.Net:

Chlorothiazide Sodium for Injection, USP is therapeutically equivalent to the reference-listed drug Diuril®, which is marketed by Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals. According to 2008 IMS data, sales of this product in the United States were approximately $51 million1. Chlorothiazide is a diuretic used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), as well as fluid retention in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, kidney disorders, or edema caused by taking steroids or estrogen.

It was remarked by Thomas H. Silberg, president and chief executive officer of APP Pharmaceuticals, that the present stream of ANDA approvals reinforces APP's commitments in providing a consistently expanding portfolio of products to the customers and the patients.

Cattle steroid abuse now comes with a new test

Innovative new tests have been devised by scientists at Queen’s University Belfast to identify the illegal use of steroids in the European beef industry. These tests are not only far more accurate and convenient but also cheaper than the conventional doping tests in tracing the illegal drugs.

This study was led by Professor Chris Elliot, the Director of the Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use at Queen’s and published in the scientific journal Analytical Chemistry.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Using a commercial blood analyser commonly found in hospitals, the researchers measured 20 different chemical markers, including proteins and cholesterol, in cattle treated with and without the commonly used steroids testosterone and oestrogen over a 42-day study period.
The new test detected the presence of the steroids with a high accuracy rate - between 91 and 96 per cent.
Professor Elliot said: “In recent years, a trend of administration of very low dose cocktails of naturally occurring hormones has made conventional forms of analysis even more problematic.
“Even if minute traces of steroids can be detected, proving definitive illegal administration under these circumstances is close to impossible.
“The ability to detect evidence of such administrations using metabolic markers would be a major scientific advance.

It was remarked by Professor Elliot that a single incidence of steroid administration means that a minimized metabolic response can be generated compared with what could have been achieved through cocktail hormone treatments that are being abused in Europe.

The research was funded by the European Commission and safefood organization in Ireland.

Anabolic steroids can easily result in anti-social behavior

There can be a possible link between anabolic steroids and anti-social behavior as per researchers from Sweden.

Anabolic steroids are drugs related with male sex hormones that are used in oral as well as injectable forms for building muscles and developing lean body appearance. However, long-term use or abuse of steroids can result in serious health complications including liver cancer and kidney disease.

From News-Medical.Net:

Apparently non-prescription steroid use has been linked previously to a number of psychiatric conditions and changes in behaviour and there have been reports of groups such as bodybuilders using anabolic androgenic steroids where hypomania or manic episodes, depression or suicide, psychotic episodes and increased aggressiveness and hostility have been experienced.

Dr. Fia Klötz of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues studied the associations between criminality and steroid use in 1,440 Swedish residents tested for the drugs between 1995 and 2001.

They found that those who tested positive for steroid use were about twice as likely to have been convicted of a weapons offence and one and a half times as likely to have been convicted of fraud.

It was remarked that the use of steroids leads to anti-social behavior due to steroids' effects on mood swings, impulsiveness, depression, paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions and impaired judgment.

Exercises before coming to office enhance workers' productivity

Time management, work quality, and mental performance of workers get improved on days when they reach workplace after spending some time on exercises, according to a presented research at the 52nd American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was also revealed by the research that workers return more forgiving to themselves and others apart from being more tolerant.

From News-Medical.Net:

“The results are striking,” said lead researcher Jim McKenna, Ph.D. “We weren’t expecting such a strong improvement on productivity linked to exercising. Even more impressive was that these people already thought they were good at their jobs. Participants tracked mood, and as expected, exercising enhanced their mood. However, boosts in productivity were over and above the mood effects; it’s the exercise—or attitude related to exercise—that affects productivity.”
Focus groups confirmed the surprisingly strong effects of workplace exercise. “We expected to hear more about the downside, such as afternoon fatigue,” said McKenna. “But out of 18 themes raised by study participants, 14 were positive. It was almost overwhelming.”
Workplace exercise programs, said McKenna, benefit more than just the workers. “Companies see more productive employees who also work better together. From the public health side, health care costs can be expected to go down for employees who regularly exercise at work. Think of it: fewer sick days, better attendance and more tolerant co-worker relations.”

The research also communicated the fact that more than 65 percent workers showed considerable improvements in time management and output demand levels besides leading a stable, improved mental and interpersonal performance after exercises and before reaching workplace.

Abuse of Human growth hormone may lead to severe health complications

While testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee on behalf of The Endocrine Society, Dr. Alan Rogol outlined the legitimate medical use of human growth hormone.

It was remarked that severe health risks may occur when HGH abuse is initiated by steroid users and that individuals, especially celebrities and sportsmen on HGH, run a high risk of fatal health complications.

From News-Medical.Net:

“There are a number of safe and legitimate FDA-approved uses of growth hormone in adults and children,” said Dr. Rogol. “The off-label use of growth hormone, which primarily is in the anti-aging and body image or athletic market, comes with increased risks.”
One risk factor is that most off-label users are usually unaware of the correct doses. “One can assume that the dose administered would be much greater than that given for legitimate purposes,” said Dr. Rogol.
At higher HGH dosages, it is possible to achieve levels similar to those found in the endocrine disease acromegaly, which is caused by too much growth hormone in the body. This condition can lead to severe muscle weakness and even heart disease.
According to Dr. Rogol, perhaps the most insidious off-label use is by athletes and others who believe they are using actual growth hormone, when in fact they may be receiving an entirely different substance.
“Magazines and the internet are replete with advertisements for substances marketed as ‘growth hormone',” said Dr. Rogol. “Growth hormone, however, can only work if injected, and many of these preparations are taken orally, so they cannot possibly be HGH.”

It was also remarked by Dr. Rogol that human growth hormone obtained from human tissues has already been eliminated from the legal drug market because of the possibility of the rare yet fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

New approach identified for preventing transplant rejection

A subset of cells - named TH17 cells - can prove effective in uncovering the mechanisms resulting in graft-versus-host disease when it comes to improving treatment results without the side effects of traditional immunosuppressive therapy, as per researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The results of this study appeared in the Feb. 5, 2009, issue of Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.

It is considered that findings of this study would help in charting a course for improved therapies capable of treating and preventing graft-versus-host disease.

From News-Medical.Net:

The UNC study has identified a subset of cells – named TH17 cells – that can bring about the condition. Until now, without a clear understanding of the disease, clinicians have had little choice but to treat transplant patients with toxic regimens of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs.
"Our hope is that uncovering the mechanisms that cause graft-versus-host disease will allow for treatments that specifically target its causes and do not have the harmful side effects of traditional immunosuppressive therapy," said study lead author Jonathan S. Serody, M.D., a member of the Lineberger Center and the Elizabeth Thomas Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology at UNC. The results of the study appeared in the Feb. 5, 2009, issue of Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious complication of transplants that occurs when the donor's marrow (graft) produces immune cells that attack multiple organs of the recipient (host), typically the skin, gastrointestinal tract and liver.

It was remarked by lead author of the study Jonathan S. Serody, M.D., a member of the Lineberger Center and the Elizabeth Thomas Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology at UNC, that new drugs will appear in the market in the next five years for treating immune-based skin diseases.