Medical Portal

Since May, 2006 Center for Disease Control has started to fix extension of a new and more dangerous variety of a virus which, as a rule, causes common cold.

Experts assert that adenovirus-14 has killed 10 people and was the cause of long hospitalization of 50 patients. The reason of death was a new variety of adenovirus-14, which cased pneumonia.

Cases of infection with adenovirus-14 were fixed New York, Oregon, Washington and Texas. The special anxiety of epidemiologists is caused with the increased frequency of complications among young patients.

For today it is known more than 50 varieties of adenoviruses, which are mainly RVI’s activators. Experts assert that serious complications are possible at children, old men, and also at persons with the weakened immunity.

The American scientists from Massachusetts hospitals have conducted a research and came to a conclusion, that the brain of people suffering from migraines, differs from a brain of the healthy person.

Researchers have compared results of brain scanning of healthy people and those who suffered from migraines. Patients with migraines had headache attacks at least 4 times a month within 20 years.

People, suffering from migraines, had 21 % thicker somatosensory cortex- the area of a brain responsible for sensation of a pain, temperature and tactile sensitivity.

Scientists believe that such change of brain structure is explained by long-term frequently repeating hyperstimulation of sensitive areas which leads to thickening of a cortex. There is also other theory according to which thickened somatosensory cortex can be an evidence of susceptibility to migraines.

It is necessary to note, that thickness of a cortex can vary in result of some other pathologies.

The use of large quantities of fructose and glucose influences the genes regulating level of active testosterone and an estrogen in an organism of the person, has shown the new research.

Fructose and glucose are processed by liver. When dietary intake contains too much sugar, liver transforms it into lipids. Scientists have found out that large quantity of lipids reduces secretion of albumen SHBG (the globulin connecting sex hormones). Globulin plays the major role, supervising the quantity of testosterone and estrogen in blood, informs ScienceDaily.

If the organism starts to produce smaller quantity of SHBG, the content of sex hormones sharply increases that entails pustule, sterility, polycystic ovary and uterine carcinoma. Change of a level of SHBG’s level also leads to imbalance of testosterone and estrogen that provokes development of cardiovascular diseases.

As a rule, doctors measure SHBG content in blood to reveal hormonal disorders. Besides it helps to determine risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists from the British Institute of child’s health and the Italian University of Modena and Rejio Emily during research have found out a gene which determines risk of cancer development.

In research took part about 400 patients with a colon cancer, brain-growth or a chronic blood cancer.

In a result it has been established, that two variants of B-MYB gene were met at healthy people twice more often, than at oncological patients. Hence, scientists have drawn a conclusion, that carriers of two variants of this gene are less often ill with oncological diseases.

According to the last data, occurrence of anticancer variants of B-MYB gene varies in various ethnic groups: in particular, their carriers are 40 % of Italians, 50 % of natives from Africa and only 10 % of white Americans.

Researchers believe that new opening will help to create new methods of struggle against cancer.

Sedentary work is much more dangerous, than it was considered earlier. To such conclusion came researchers from University of Missouri, writes Washington ProFile.

They have analyzed processes, which proceed in organisms of living creatures (people, pigs and mice), who lead, basically, an inactive way of life. Thus experimental animals were artificially limited in movement.

As it appeared, sitting (while working, talking over the phone, viewing TV-programs and reading) leads not only to excess weight. In an organism of moveless person or animal begin metabolic processes resulting in development of serious risks for the health - development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Traditionally in the USA physicians recommend people leading an inactive way of life, to go info sports 5 times a week for half an hour.

However scientific from University of Missouri consider that such physical activity is obviously insufficient to compensate the problems caused by sitting.

Two companies at once have declared putting on the market since November, 19 service of the human DNA online-test - Icelandic DeCode Genetics and American company 23andMe.

Icelandic company DeCode Genetics has been conducting genetic researches for more than 10 years and now is going set in operation new online-service due to which any interested person can receive the analysis of the his or her DNA for $985.

The second company 23andMe which starts similar service, is founded by the wife of Google’s owner who informs that all for $999 her service will give to people an opportunity to find out more about the origin, genealogy, heredity.

Both DeCode Genetics, and 23andMe promise each subscriber to scan about 1 million 600 thousand genomes, which are available in their databases and to give out the analysis from which the client can learn about risks of certain diseases. First of all these are heart diseases and illnesses of vascular system and some forms of cancer.

The American scientists from California Pacific Medical Center, who conducted experiments on cellular lines, came to a conclusion that the substance CBD, contained in marihuana, prevents dissemination of breast cancer.

Scientists headed by Sean MacAlister have conducted a research and found out that with CBD’s help it is possible to block activity of a gene Id-1, which is responsible for distribution of cancer cells throughout an organism.

Scientists believe that blocking of gene Id-1 can be good alternative to chemotherapy as it has no side-effects. Besides, this substance does not have psychoactive action; therefore its application is ideal for the medical purposes.

However researchers warn that smoking marihuana to get rid or prevent cancer won’t help, as in such a way it is almost impossible to reach effective concentration of CBD.

Scientists from university of Southern California have conducted a research which has shown, that polluted air of an environment most of all threatens people moving in an automobile.

Research experiment has been conducted as follows: the laboratory electro-mobile has been equipped with gauges of air cleanliness and videocameras. This equipped car some times in rush hours has driven through busy Los Angeles’ highways.

It appeared that the main suppliers of dirty air on roads are trucks with diesel engines.

Therefore daily 1,5 hour trip at the wheel gives the motorist huge portion of dangerous substances. And if the driver is non-smoker and keeps to healthy way of life, driving a car is the most dangerous period of time to his health.

Experts mark, that even driving with the closed windows, law speed and using the conditioner help a little.

An international group of scientists from America and Italy has conducted large-scale brain survey and has found out a substance anandamin, which on its properties is similar to marihuana.

According to scientists, anandamin is endogenous substance, that is generated by an organism. Researches have shown, that this substance also acts as an analgesic and antidepressant.

Experts led by Daniel Piomelli, director of the Medicines Development Center at the Californian University Irvin, have conducted an experiment during which they injected to aggressive laboratory rats the new created substance URB597, which blocks anandamin disassimilation in a brain, raising its level.
Laboratory rats had raised level of the substance and started to behave antiaggressively.

According to scientists, substance URB597 also takes part in feed regulation and influences adiposity processes. URB597 has already been patented and in 2008 the European pharmaceutical company Organon will start its clinical tests.

The faster speed of animal’s life, the more actively it struggles with an infection, rising temperature of the body.

Despite of presence of special immune mechanisms for struggle against bacterial and virus infections’ activators, there are also nonspecific methods of protection. It is rise of a body temperature, refusal of food intake and expulsion of reproduction and aggressive behavior from a life. If change of life style saves energy, rise in body temperature on 1 C, accelerates metabolism approximately by 10 %, strengthening protective properties of an organism. During many diseases the organism raises body temperature to struggle against an infection.

In Russia there are even some lipopolysaccharide-based medical preparations, which cause fever. This preparations help to treat long chronic inflammations.