Accidental discovery of 'female Viagra' Nov 18, 2009
Lead researcher Professor John Thorp, of the University of North Carolina, told the European Society for Sexual Medicine: "Flibanserin was a poor antidepressant. It's essentially a Viagra-like drug for women in that diminished desire or libido is the most common feminine sexual problem, like erectile dysfunction is in men Professor John Thorp who led the research "However, astute observers noted that it increased libido in laboratory animals and human subjects. "So, we conducted multiple... (BBC News -- Health)
New Mobile Lab Allows Researchers To Study Air Quality, Health Effects Oct 14, 2009
Researchers can study the subtle effects of controlled particle exposure on both laboratory animals and human subjects, providing clues on why and how pollutant particles are so harmful to the heart and lungs. Harkema works closely with environmental and biomedical researchers from the University of Michigan on the projects. (Science Daily)
Resveratrol: A Natural Cure for Swi... Oct 10, 2009
Calorie restriction increases the longevity of laboratory animals. When animals are given resveratrol, they show the same increased life span even when fed a diet with a normal number of calories. (Suite101.com)
Exercise Minimizes Weight Regain By Reducing Appetite And Burning Fat First, Carbs Later Sep 5, 2009
4, 2009) Exercise helps prevent weight regain after dieting by reducing appetite and by burning fat before burning carbohydrates, according to a new study with rats. Burning fat first and storing carbohydrates for use later in the day slows weight regain and may minimize overeating by signaling a feeling of fullness to the brain. (Science Daily)
* Tests begin on drugs that may slow aging Aug 20, 2009
In experiments with mice and other laboratory animals, certain chemicals, caloric restriction and the change of single genes have all brought noticeable increases in life span ... But they have been confounded by experiments with small laboratory animals, like roundworms, fruit flies and mice. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Teeny-tiny X-ray Vision Aug 1, 2009
The tiny technology, presented at this year's meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine in Anaheim, California, is being developed to image human breast tissue, laboratory animals, and cancer patients under radiotherapy treatment, and to irradiate cells with more control than previously possible with conventional X-ray tubes ... The group used the nanotubes to build micro-sized scanners and image the interior anatomy of small laboratory animals. (Science Daily)
Plastics Chemical, Bisphenol A, Retards Growth, Function Of Adult Reproductive Cells Jul 10, 2009
A review of the health risks of BPA by the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded in 2008 that while BPA has been shown to harm the reproductive health of laboratory animals in some studies, such adverse effects "are observed at levels of exposure that far exceed those encountered by humans.". However, the NTP reported that laboratory studies that showed effects in animals exposed to low doses of BPA led it to have "some concern for effects on... (Science Daily)
Of mice and monkeys Jul 10, 2009
That advice might be even truer than many of its proponents realise, for it has long been known that restricting the diets of several species of laboratory animal seems to slow down the process of ageing. This is a question not just of avoiding obesity, but of reducing an individual s intake of calories to a point significantly below normal consumption almost, but not quite, to the point of malnutrition. (The Economist)
Effect of 6-months of physical exercise on the nitrate/nitrite levels in hypertensive postmenopausal women Jun 21, 2009
Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial cells has been implicated in this beneficial effect with improvement of vascular relaxing and reduction in blood pressure in both laboratory animals and human. Although the effect of exercise training in the human cardiovascular system has been largely studied, the majority of these studies were predominantly conducted in men or young volunteers. (BioMed Central)
Europe To Coordinate Unique Biobanks May 29, 2009
12, 2009) Future medical research will focus increasingly on electronic data, with less need both for laboratory animals and tissue samples. This long term trend emerged at a recent conference on biobanking. (Science Daily)
Wellesley letters: May 21 May 23, 2009
Dr. Maffini s discussion included examination of the effects of endocrine disruptors such as dioxin, DDT, DES and bisphenol-A (BPA ) and emphasized that there were no low doses of BPA given to laboratory animals that did not produce alterations to their endocrine systems. According to a Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition Newsletter distributed by Dr. Maffini, the endocrine system consists of glands that produce hormones which modulate specific body functions (metabolism, growth, reproduction)... (Wellesley Townsman, MA)
Chandler animal lab brings jobs, protesters Apr 6, 2009
Officials are aware that April 18-26 is designated by activists as World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week, when they seek to bring attention to lab animals used to test drugs and chemicals. "Most people don't understand how pharmaceutical testing works," Heiser-Wong said. (AZCentral -- News)
New approach discovered to lowering triglycerides Apr 1, 2009
Lipoic acid supplements have in various studies been shown to be an appetite suppressant, but control groups of laboratory animals were used in this research to ensure that lower triglyceride levels were not the result simply of less food intake. The rats used in the experiment were obese to begin with, and developed higher triglyceride levels as the experiment proceeded and they aged but the animals given lipoic acid fared much better. (EurekAlert!)
New Covance lab set to begin testing drugs Mar 27, 2009
Any week now, Covance Labs in Chandler will begin dosing laboratory animals with drugs that could stop cancer, cure Alzheimer's disease and repair metabolisms that have gone haywire. The company recently completed its $175 million testing facility near Chandler's airpark and will begin its first tests under contract for pharmaceutical clients developing next-generation drugs. (AZCentral -- Business)
The chemical in your baby's bottle Mar 23, 2009
BPA has caused all of these in laboratory animals ... In 2007, 38 international specialists on BPA signed the Chapel Hill Consensus Statement at a meeting organized by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences: Such a wide range of harmful effects, though found in laboratory animals, provided "great cause for concern" for "the potential for similar adverse effects in humans." Experts at the National Toxicology Program agreed. (Boston Globe)
6 firms stop sales of hard-plastic baby bottles Mar 7, 2009
Industry studies found the chemical caused no damage to laboratory animals or humans, but more than 150 government and academic-sponsored studies have found a series of development problems even at low exposures. Studies in lab animals indicate that even small amounts of bisphenol A can damage brain and reproductive systems, alter mammary and prostate glands and lead to heart disease, obesity and diabetes. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Excessive Dietary Fat Caused 300 Percent Increase in Metastasizing Tumor Cells In Animal Models Feb 27, 2009
26, 2009) Researchers at Purdue University have precisely measured the impact of a high-fat diet on the spread of cancer, finding that excessive dietary fat caused a 300 percent increase in metastasizing tumor cells in laboratory animals ... Researchers at Purdue have precisely measured the impact of a high-fat diet on the spread of cancer, finding that excessive dietary fat caused a 300 percent increase in metastasizing tumor cells in laboratory animals. (Science Daily)
Dry Beans Inhibit Development Of Mammary Cancer Feb 19, 2009
To address whether dry bean consumption is associated with a reduction in mammary cancer, scientists at Colorado State University studied the anticancer activity of six market classes of bean including; small red, great northern, navy, black, dark red and white kidney bean in the diet of laboratory animals. They also evaluated whether the level of antioxidants or seed coat pigments in the bean were related to mammary cancer. (Science Daily)
