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) Zinc discovery help fight diabetes
A new way to measure zinc in cells could help scientists understand more about diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes.Zinc plays a number of vital biological roles and 5% of all proteins made in the body are involved in its transport.
But until now it has only been possible to obtain a rough idea of how much of the metal cells contain.
The new technique involves a molecular probe that uses fluorescent jellyfish proteins to measure zinc concentrations accurately.
Coloured patches seen under a microscope reveal where the zinc lies.
The probe was tested on pancreatic cells where the hormone insulin is wrapped around electrically charged zinc atoms, or ions.
Previous research has suggested that in people with Type 2 diabetes, the gene that controls this packaging process is often defective. More>>
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) A couple's cause: fighting Alzheimer's
There is a comfort and compassion the Alzheimer's patients feel from him. Holbrook treats each person like they are his own parent. When he sees them, he sees his father, Rick, who lives in California."My dad was diagnosed at 52 he is now 55 and probably within the next 2 or 3 months he will be in long term care," says Holbrook. "I made a decision when I saw him struggle that I had to do something to make a difference in people's lives."
Mike decided to quit his job in the hospitality industry to dedicate his time and career to long term care for people with Alzheimer's disease.
"I work not for a paycheck, I get paid, don't get me wrong, but the paycheck is nothing compared to the smiles on people's faces everyday," he says.
"I can't say it's all fun and games and easy every day but it is rewarding. More>>
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) Rosiglitazone Effects to Ameliorate Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenic
However, metabolic factors are not usually considered relevant for Alzheimers disease. Although not fully recognized, insulin signaling and other neurotrophic factors seem to play key roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimers disease. There is increasing evidence that metabolic derangements such as type II diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are risk factors for cognitive impairment and Alzheimers disease. In fact, type II diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome seem to be related to other neuropsychiatric diseases such as major depressive disorder, Parkinsons disease, and bipolar disorder.One possible mechanism that could mediate metabolic derangements with neuropsychiatric pathologies is trophic signaling deficiency. It is well known that brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling is impaired in Alzheimers disease as well as in major depressive disorder. More>>
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) Different Cholesterol Testing Methods
However, too much cholesterol in the body can lead to a number of serious ailments such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and Alzheimer's.It is important to monitor the levels of cholesterol in your body. You can do that by watching what you eat and by using various testing methods. Common methods used for testing cholesterol levels include laser eye cholesterol testing, which is a non-invasive method that measures cholesterol by how light is scattered from the eye surface. Another method is digital cholesterol testing, which is a portable blood testing system for complete lipid profiling. And yet another popular method is thin-layer chromatography, which is used to test cholesterol in food before you eat them.
High cholesterol levels in the body can be dangerous and must be treated immediately. More>>
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) Recipe for Health: Got high blood pressure? DASH it away
Having high blood pressure increases the risk for heart attacks, strokes and various types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. While chronic conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and obesity increase a person's risk for high blood pressure, many times the cause is unknown. There does seem to be a hereditary factor to high blood pressure. If others in your family have it, you have a greater likelihood of developing it. . More>>