Category Health/Medical

Chronic, low-grade inflammation caused by high fat diets contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes and other inflammation-related disorders like cardiovascular disease, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. Prof David Earnest, Ph.D. and his team have shown that consumption of saturated fats at certain times may “jet lag” internal clocks, as well as the resulting inflammation.

Earnest’s previous work suggested that a high-fat diet alters how our body clocks keep time, particularly in immune cells that mediate inflammation. Earlier findings show that a high fat diet slows down the clocks in immune cells such that they no longer “tell” accurate time. Now, he and his team, including Robert S. Chapkin, Ph.D...

The green signal in these images of an injured zebrafish heart and a fin indicate the activity of a gene that enhances tissue regeneration. Credit: Junsu Kang, Duke University

Limb or organ regrowth may be hidden in our genes. If you trace our evolutionary tree way back to its roots – long before the shedding of gills or the development of opposable thumbs – you will likely find a common ancestor with the amazing ability to regenerate lost body parts. Lucky descendants of this creature, including today’s salamanders or zebrafish, can still perform the feat, but humans lost much of their regenerative power over millions of years of evolution.

A Duke study has discovered the presence of regulatory sequences in zebrafish, a favored model of regeneration research...

Sections of amnion with hematoxylin and eosin stains demonstrating meconium-related findings (original magnification ×40). (A) Normal amniotic epithelium (e); (B) vacuolated amniotic epithelial cells with pale vacuoles (v) and meconium-laden macrophages (m) below the basement membrane; (C) proliferation (p) of amniotic epithelial cells, demonstrated by numerous dark nuclei.

In the US, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is the most common preventable cause of developmental delay. Animal studies have shown some of the adverse effects of PAE on placental development, but few studies have examined these effects in humans. This is the first study to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine, marijuana, and cigarette smoking on human placental development.

Researchers collected p...

Image: Carnitine, Choline, Cancer and Cholesterol: The TMAO Connection and how Resveratrol could be anti-atherosclerotic . NB. The concentration of TMAO in blood increases after consuming foods containing carnitine or lecithin if the bacteria that convert those substances to TMAO are present in the gut. High concentrations of carnitine are found in red meat, some energy drinks, and some dietary supplements; lecithin is found in soy, eggs, as an ingredient in processed food and is sold as a dietary supplement.

Resveratrol, found in red wine etc reduces the risk of heart disease by changing the gut microbiome, according to a new study by researchers from China...