|
HOLISTIC
THERAPY
******************************************************************************************************************
The following information is simply
informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice
of
a veterinarian nor to assist you
in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with
your
own veterinary physician for confirmation of any
diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.
*******************************************************************************************************************
NEW! Canine Cancer Awareness has implemented a new
Supplement Bank. Please click here for more
information.
*******************************************************************************************************************
As more and more of
our dogs are being diagnosed with cancer, we are also looking for
more treatment options. Holistic therapy is a wonderful resource in
helping in the fight against cancer. Some choose to use
holistic/alternative therapy alone or in conjunction with the more
conventional chemotherapy treatments. Again, we stress that you
consult with a holistic veterinarian before giving your pet any of
the following. Not all situations are the same and need to be
adjusted according to a particular dog's need. We will be adding
more holistic supplements to this page as the information becomes
available to us.
(Click on the
awareness ribbon to easily navigate to the area
you are interested in)
 
CO-Q
10:
- Coenzyme Q10 is
made naturally by the human body.
- Coenzyme Q10 helps
cells to produce energy, and it acts as an antioxidant.
- Coenzyme Q10 has
shown an ability to stimulate the immune system and to protect the
heart from damage caused by certain chemotherapy drugs.
- Low blood levels of coenzyme
Q10 have been detected in patients with some types of
cancer.
- No report of a randomized
clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 as a treatment for
cancer has been published in a peer-reviewed, scientific journal.
- Coenzyme Q10 is
marketed in the United States as a dietary supplement.
Coenzyme Q10 (also
known as Co Q10, Q10, vitamin Q10,
ubiquinone, or ubidecarenone) is a benzoquinone compound synthesized
naturally by the human body. The "Q" and the "10" in the name refer
to the quinone chemical group and the 10 isoprenyl chemical
subunits, respectively, that are part of this compound's structure.
The term "coenzyme" denotes it as an organic (contains carbon
atoms), nonprotein molecule necessary for the proper functioning of
its protein partner (an enzyme or an enzyme complex). Coenzyme
Q10 is used by cells of the body in a process known
variously as aerobic respiration, aerobic metabolism, oxidative
metabolism or cell respiration. Through this process, energy for
cell growth and maintenance is created inside cells in compartments
called mitochondria. Coenzyme Q10 is also used by
the body as an endogenous antioxidant. An antioxidant is a substance
that protects cells from free radicals, which are highly reactive
chemicals, often containing oxygen atoms, capable of damaging
important cellular components such as DNA and lipids. In addition,
the plasma level of coenzyme Q10 has been used, in
studies, as a measure of oxidative stress (a situation in which
normal antioxidant levels are reduced).
Coenzyme Q10 is
present in most tissues, but the highest concentrations are found in
the heart, the liver, the kidneys, and the pancreas. The lowest
concentration is found in the lungs. Tissue levels of this compound
decrease as people age, due to increased requirements, decreased
production, or insufficient intake of the chemical precursors needed
for synthesis. In humans, normal blood levels of coenzyme
Q10 have been defined variably, with reported values
ranging from 0.30 to 3.84 micrograms per
milliliter.
Given the importance of coenzyme
Q10 to optimal cellular energy production, use of this
compound as a treatment for diseases other than cancer has been
explored. Most of these investigations have focused on coenzyme
Q10 as a treatment for cardiovascular disease. In
patients with cancer, coenzyme Q10 has been shown to
protect the heart from anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity
(anthracyclines are a family of chemotherapy drugs, including
doxorubicin, that have the potential to damage the heart) and to
stimulate the immune system. Stimulation of the immune system by
this compound has also been observed in animal studies and in humans
without cancer. In part because of its immunostimulatory potential,
coenzyme Q10 has been used as an adjuvant therapy in
patients with various types of cancer.
While coenzyme Q10 may
show indirect anticancer activity through its effect(s) on the
immune system, there is evidence to suggest that analogs of this
compound can suppress cancer growth directly. Analogs of coenzyme
Q10 have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of
cancer cellsin vitro and the growth of cancer cells transplanted
into rats and mice. In view of these findings, it has been proposed
that analogs of coenzyme Q10 may function as
antimetabolites to disrupt normal biochemical reactions that are
required for cell growth and/or survival and, thus, that they may be
useful for short periods of time as chemotherapeutic
agents.
Several companies distribute
coenzyme Q10 as a dietary supplement. In the United
States, dietary supplements are regulated as foods not drugs.
Therefore, premarket evaluation and approval by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) are not required unless specific disease
prevention or treatment claims are made. Because dietary supplements
are not formally reviewed for manufacturing consistency, there may
be considerable variation from lot to lot.
Laboratory/Animal/Preclinical Studies
Laboratory work on coenzyme
Q10 has focused primarily on its structure and its
function in cell respiration. Studies in animals have demonstrated
that coenzyme Q10 is capable of stimulating the immune
system, with treated animals showing increased resistance to
protozoal infections and to viral and chemically induced
neoplasia. Early studies of coenzyme Q10 showed
increased hemotopoiesis (the formation of new blood cells) in
monkeys, rabbits, and poultry. Coenzyme Q10 demonstrated
a protective effect on the heart muscle of mice, rats, and rabbits
given the anthracycline anticancer drug doxorubicin. Although
another study confirmed this protective effect with intraperitoneal
administration of doxorubicin in mice, it failed to demonstrate a
protective effect when the anthracycline was given intravenously,
which is the route of administration in humans. Researchers in one
study sounded a cautionary note when they found that
coadministration of coenzyme Q10 and radiation therapy
decreased the effectiveness of the radiotherapy. In this study, mice
inoculated with human small cell lung cancer cells (a xenograft
study), and then given coenzyme Q10 and single-dose
radiation therapy, showed substantially less inhibition of tumor
growth than mice in the control group that were treated with
radiation therapy alone. Since radiation leads to the production of
free radicals, and since antioxidants protect against free radical
damage, the effect in this study might be explained by coenzyme
Q10 acting as an antioxidant. As noted previously, there
is some evidence from laboratory and animal studies that analogs of
coenzyme Q10 may have direct anticancer
activity.
Adverse
Effects
No serious toxicity associated
with the use of coenzyme Q10 has been reported. Doses of
100 milligrams per day or higher have caused mild insomnia in some
individuals. Liver enzyme elevation has been detected in patients
taking doses of 300 milligrams per day for extended periods of time,
but no liver toxicity has been reported. Researchers in one
cardiovascular study reported that coenzyme Q10 caused
rashes, nausea, and epigastric (upper abdominal) pain that required
withdrawal of a small number of patients from the study. Other
reported side effects have included dizziness, photophobia (abnormal
visual sensitivity to light), irritability, headache, heartburn, and
fatigue.
Certain lipid-lowering drugs,
such as the "statins" (lovastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin) and
gemfibrozil, as well as oral agents that lower blood sugar, such as
glyburide and tolazamide, cause a decrease in serum levels of
coenzyme Q10 and reduce the effects of coenzyme
Q10 supplementation. Beta-blockers (drugs that slow the
heart rate and lower blood pressure) can inhibit coenzyme
Q10-dependent enzyme reactions. The contractile force of
the heart in patients with high blood pressure can be increased by
coenzyme Q10 administration. Coenzyme Q10 can
reduce the body's response to the anticoagulant drug warfarin.
Finally, coenzyme Q10 can decrease insulin requirements
in individuals with diabetes.
TOP
ARTEMISININ:
So far, the most
extensive study on the use of Artemisinin as an anti-cancer agent
was carried out by bioengineering scientists Drs Narenda Singh and
Henry Lai of the University of Washington. This study was reported
in the Journal Life Science (70 (2001): 49-56).
Iron is
required for cell division, and it is well known that many cancer
cell types selectively accumulate iron for this purpose. Most
cancers have large number of iron attracting transferring receptors
on their cell surface compared to normal cells. In laboratory
studies of radiation, resistant breast cancer cells that has
high propensity for
accumulating iron revealed that artemisinin has 75 percent cancer
cell killing properties in a 8 hours and almost 100 percent killing
properties within 24 hours when these cancer cells are "pre-loaded"
with iron after incubation with holotransferrin. On the other
hand, the normal cells remained virtually unharmed. Another study showing the
effectiveness of artesunate in treatment of cancer was also
published in Oncology (April 2001: 18(4): 767-73).
The fact that iron content of
cancer cells is high has also been used in another anti-cancer
therapy called Zoetron therapy, where iron containing cancer cells
are induced into motion using a magnetic device to induce
resonance. Resonance generate heat. Cancer cells are more
sensitive to heat compared to normal healthy cells. When cancer
cells are heated to a certain temperature, they die while normal
cells still survive.
Artemisinin is
effective against a wide variety of cancers as shown in a series of
successful experiments. The most effective is leukemia and colon
cancer. Intermediate activities were also shown against melanoma,
breast, ovarian, prostate, CNS and renal cancer. Although
artemisinin is insoluble in water, it is able to cross the blood
brain barrier (the water soluble artesunate is the weakness among
the derivates) and may be particularly suitable for curing brain
tumors, together with Poly-MVA (an
metalo-vitamin)
In laboratory
studies, iron needs to be added to enhance the effects of
artemisinin. Within the human body, no such addition is necessary,
as iron already exist in the body. It can also be taken orally and
therefore high doses are not required. Some people believe that as
nitrogen (tertiary amine) is absent in ART, cancer cells cannot get
rid of it once it enters into the cancer cell. As a result, ART
stays in the cell much longer.
In addition to the high affinity for iron in aggressive
cancer cell types, most cancer cells also lack the enzyme catalayse
and gutathione peroxidase. Catalayse breaks down hydrogen peroxide.
A low catalayse content means a higher hydrogen peroxide load, which
can release superoxide free radicals when properly stimulated to do
so. This is in fact one common mechanism among chemotherapeutic
agents as well as vitamin C. These traits make cancer cells more
susceptible to oxidative damage as compare to normal cells in the
presence of hydrogen peroxide. For this reason,
administration of vitamin C in high dose is
acceptable, although a gap of 2-3 hours is preferred.
According to Dr Rowen , a naturally oriented medical
doctor and editor of the medical newsletter " Second Opinion"
, the Hoang family of physicians in Vietnam had used arteminisin in
the treatment of cancer for years. They have reported that, over a
10-year period, more than 400 patients were treated with artemisinin
in conjunction with a comprehensive anti-cancer program with 50 to
60 percent long-term remission rate. The safety record of
artemisinin has well been studied for over 25 years. No significant
toxicity in short-term use for malaria at high dose of up to 70
mg/kg per day has been reported.
Artemisinin is not a stand-alone chemotherapeutic
agent. A combination of nutritional supplements (such as
green tea, CoQ10 and pancreatic enzyme) as well as a good
anti-cancer diet is required.
ART may be administered orally, with a
32 percent bioavailability as compared to injections. It is highly
bound to membranes. Laboratory measurement of its serum level is
therefore not exact.
Forms of Artemisinin
There are three common forms of
artemisinin. The water soluble form is called artesunate . It is the
most active and the least toxic. It also has the shortest life
within the body Artemether is the lipid soluble form. It has the
longest life but also the most toxic in high dosage which is seldom
needed. The biggest advantage of artemether is that it can cross the
blood brain barrier. Artemisinin is the active parent compound
of the plant. It's half-life is intermediate. It is also very
safe, and can cross the blood-brain barrier. Some clinicians
prefer to use a combination of all three forms, while others tend to
favor the use of artemisinin alone with great success.
Toxicity and Side
Effects
High doses of artemisinin can produce neurotoxicity
such as gait disturbances, loss of spinal and pain response,
respiratory depression, and ultimately cardiopulmonary arrest in
large animals.
In human
beings, there are very few reports of adverse effects except for one
case of first-degree heart block. According to Robert Rowen, MD,
there is a dose related decrease in reticulocyte count for 4 days
after artesunate or artemether at doses of 4 mg/kg per day for 3
days. However, the count returns to normal by day 14. When
artemisinin suppositories are used, doses as high as 40 mg/kg per
day have no effects on the reticulocyte count. In a study, it was
reported that up to 35 percent of the volunteers had some form of
transient drug induced fever.
When ART is tested with monkeys,
they showed no toxicity when they received up to 292 mg/kg of
artemether over 1 to 3 months. This is equal to a human dose of
20,000 mg for a 70 kg male (Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2(1):31-36 1982). In another study, there was also no sign of
toxicity in over 4000 patients. This does not exclude possible cases
of long-term cumulative toxicity which is unknown at this time.
Cautions
a. No artesminin should be taken
within 30 days of radiation therapy because of possible free iron
leaks to the surrounding tissues after radiation therapy.
b.
Preliminary laboratory studies include: CBC, reticulocyte count,
liver function test, ferritin, TIBC, ESR, C reactive protein, and
appropriate tumor markers. If the iron load is low, supplementing
iron for a few days can be considered prior to starting artemisinin.
c. Tumor markers may increase during the initial stages as
the tumor starts breaking down.
d. Vitamin E may work
against the effectiveness of ART in vitro. However, this has not
been shown to be a concern in human clinical cases.
Dosage
The therapeutic
dose ranges from 200 mg a day up to 1,000 a day (in divided
doses 4 times a day) for those with active cancer. Some doctors are
recommending up to 1,600 mg per day
Artemisinin should
always be taken with food. Cod liver oil , cottage cheese, or fish
oil may be administered at the same time to enhance absorption.
Generally, 400 to 800 mg per day can be used for at least 6 to 12
months. After that, it can be tapered off slowly.
Artemisinin
is a "cooling herb" in the traditional Chinese medicine perspective,
and some may find it too "cooling" with symptoms such as tingling.
If this occurs, then the dosage should be reduced.
Despite
its seemingly high degree of effectiveness, it is important to note
that artemisinin is not a stand-alone compound. Concurrent use of
high dose pancreatic enzyme , daily enema, liver detoxification, and
periodic laboratory measurement should also be considered as part of
an overall agressive anti-cancer
program.
Product
Concerns
Due to the increasing
popularity of this product, the consumer should exercise extreme
caution and buy only from the most reputable supplier. Only genuine
and pure artemisinin should be used, and only buy from sources you
are familiar with. There is tremendous variation in the potency of
the herb. A 100 mg of artemisinin from one source may be
manytimes more potent than the same 100 mg from another source. Only
buy from source you can trust, and not be fooled by inexpensive
"alternatives".
Since the herb comes from China and South-east Asia,
proper quality assurance on purity and standardization is of
tremendous importance. High-grade artemisinin must always be
confirmed by independent laboratory analysis on a batch by batch
basis to ensure consistence and
purity.
About The Author on
Artemisinin
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H.,
A.B.A.A.M. is a specialist in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine. He
is currently the Director of Medical Education at the Academy of
Anti-Aging Research, U.S.A. He received his Bachelor of Science
degree from Oregon State University, and his Doctor of Medicine
degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine,
California. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree
and is Board Certification in Anti-aging Medicine by the
American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Lam pioneered the
formulation of the three clinical phases of aging as well as the
concept of diagnosis and treatment of sub-clinical age related
degenerative diseases to deter the aging process. Dr. Lam has been
published extensively in this field. He is the author of The
Five Proven Secrets to Longevity (available on-line). He
also serves as editor of the Journal of Anti-Aging
Research.
TOP
|
