From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Wed Nov 27 2002 - 07:47:07 MST
On Tue, Nov 26, 2002 at 11:22:15PM -0800, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
>
> I haven't managed to find the PNAS article yet. Perhaps someone
> at a Univ. with access can figure out where it is located.
I think it has not been published yet.
However, I found this:
Vol. 96, Issue 5, 2445-2450, March 2, 1999
Neurobiology
Bilirubin, formed by activation of heme oxygenase-2, protects
neurons against oxidative stress injury
Sylvain Doré*, Masaaki Takahashi*, Christopher D. Ferris*, Lynda D.
Hester*, Daniel Guastella*, and Solomon H. Snyder*,,,§,¶
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Departments of *
Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Medicine, and
§ Psychiatry, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
Contributed by Solomon H. Snyder, December 30, 1998
Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the conversion of heme to carbon
monoxide, iron, and biliverdin, which is immediately reduced to
bilirubin (BR). Two HO active isozymes exist: HO1, an inducible
heat shock protein, and HO2, which is constitutive and highly
concentrated in neurons. We demonstrate a neuroprotective role for
BR formed from HO2. Neurotoxicity elicited by hydrogen peroxide in
hippocampal and cortical neuronal cultures is prevented by the
phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) via
stimulation of protein kinase C. We observe phosphorylation of HO2
through the protein kinase C pathway with enhancement of HO2
catalytic activity and accumulation of BR in neuronal cultures. The
neuroprotective effects of PMA are prevented by the HO inhibitor
tin protoporphyrin IX and in cultures from mice with deletion of
HO2 gene. Moreover, BR, an antioxidant, is neuroprotective at
nanomolar concentrations.
>
> At this time, I don't know anything however that would increase
> ones bilirubin production. (More hemoglobin perhaps? But that
> would seem to require more iron which is generally considered
> to be a pro-oxidant.) There is something not entirely obvious
> (at least to me) going on here.
And why pour it into the gut? Maybe the gut flora produces free
radicals.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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