So phase 1 of P90X went very well... down a couple pounds and inches, so I am totally pumped to move on to phase 2. I know I am a bit of a geek, however its the researcher in me, and the sad obsession with pubmed!
As I started phase 2 of P90X today, I began my day with the meal plans version of oatmeal - which reminded me of a past blog I did for my cell physiology class....
Got Oats?
I came across a very interesting journal article titled “Mechanism by which avenanthramide-c, a polyphenol in oats, blocks cell cycle progression in vascular smooth muscle” (Nie et al. 2006). Before reading this article, I sat back and pondered – could my bowl of Quaker oatmeal actually be bad for me? No, that can’t be!
If you recall from class (looking way back to the first lecture), the cell cycle is divided into four phases: G1, S, G2, and M (Figure 17-3 from our text). Each step is respectively very important, however, it is the G1 phase (referring back to the article above) that wins hands down. Simply put, the G1 phase is the starting point in the cell cycle, that said, it is of more importance as this phase is the ‘last stop’ before the cell commits to the S phase leading up to mitosis.
So what does the G1 phase have to do with my heart and oats you wonder? Well… the researchers behind this article found that there is a direct link to avenanthramide-c (Avn-c) found in oats, and cell cycle blockage; where “cell cycle arrest was associated with a decrease in the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (pRb), whose hyperphosphorylation is the hallmark of the G1 to S transition” (Nie et al. 2006).
Recall that G1-Cdk (cyclin D-Cdk4) initiates Rb phosphorylation. Thus inactiving Rb, which frees E2F to activate the transcription of S phase genes (Fig 17-30). Besides having an effect on the inhibition of cyclin D1, the Avn-cs are thought to be mediated by several key growth-regulatory proteins (all of which are known to have a role in cell proliferation: pRb, cyclin D1, p21cip 1m, and p53). It was found that the inhibitory effects of Avn-c on smooth muscle cell proliferation is “one potential mechanism by which avenanthramides of oats may contribute to the health benefit effect of regular oat consumption in the prevention of cardiovascular disease”(Nie et al. 2006).
So what does all of this mean?
Well if you are an avid oatmeal fan, like myself, you can relax and continue to enjoy every bowl of your favorite ‘stick-to-your-ribs” oatmeal. As now we know that oats are not just for lowering your cholesterol, they may aid in the prevention of coronary heart disease. So rejoice oatmeal lovers!
- K-Lynn H.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Its like BIOL424 all over again... article is very interesting though!
Obsessed with baseball, yes, but like with many sports there is always controversy surrounding the use of anabolic steroids for performance enhancement. It’s these controversies that make the start of the season all the more interesting.
On that note, it brings me to an interesting article I had read recently: “Detrimental effects of anabolic steroids on human endothelial cells” (Ascenzo et al 2007). As I write this blog entry, I realized that we haven’t really covered endothelial cells yet in class, however if you follow chapter 22 of our textbook, you will come across endothelial cells in your readings.
Simply put, endothelial cells are important. Why are they so important? Well as we all know almost all tissues depend on blood supply and conversely, this blood supply depends of endothelial cells which ultimately form the lining of our blood vessels. These cells are quite adaptable - they extend and remodel the network of blood vessels, and tissue growth, and if it were not for this adaptability, repairing these vessels and tissues would be virtually impossible.
This now brings me to my paper. Ascenzo et al’s (2007) main focus of this paper was to investigate the effects in vitro induced by androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) on the proliferation ability, apoptosis, and intracellular Ca2+ concentrations on umbilical endothelial cells.
Today, many think that the adverse health effects are ‘by chance’ associated with the use of androgenic anabolic steroids. However, there is an increase risk of cardiovascular complications such as cardiomyopathy, lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterols, and an increased predisposition of other vasculature diseases (Ascenzo et al 2007). It was found that exposure of AAS to the endothelial cells, the principal cell constituents of the vasculature networks, alters endothelial cell growth with a strong antiproliferative effect, induces apoptosis, and modifies intracellular levels of calcium (Ascenzo et al 2007). With these findings, it is no wonder that there is a strong link between vascular damage and androgenic anabolic steroids.
What does all this mean?
For starters, it shows some of the extreme effects androgenic anabolic steroids have on its users. One dangerous thing about it is that all our vasculature is internal; therefore these users are not seeing any immediate effects these drugs are doing to their bodies. So I guess the professional athletes should get their acts together, and if they have to rely on these steroids to improve their game, they shouldn’t be playing – The main reason why… they are role models to millions of aspiring athletes who would do anything to follow in these professional athletes footsteps.
That’s all I will be ranting about now….
- K-Lynn H
On that note, it brings me to an interesting article I had read recently: “Detrimental effects of anabolic steroids on human endothelial cells” (Ascenzo et al 2007). As I write this blog entry, I realized that we haven’t really covered endothelial cells yet in class, however if you follow chapter 22 of our textbook, you will come across endothelial cells in your readings.
Simply put, endothelial cells are important. Why are they so important? Well as we all know almost all tissues depend on blood supply and conversely, this blood supply depends of endothelial cells which ultimately form the lining of our blood vessels. These cells are quite adaptable - they extend and remodel the network of blood vessels, and tissue growth, and if it were not for this adaptability, repairing these vessels and tissues would be virtually impossible.
This now brings me to my paper. Ascenzo et al’s (2007) main focus of this paper was to investigate the effects in vitro induced by androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) on the proliferation ability, apoptosis, and intracellular Ca2+ concentrations on umbilical endothelial cells.
Today, many think that the adverse health effects are ‘by chance’ associated with the use of androgenic anabolic steroids. However, there is an increase risk of cardiovascular complications such as cardiomyopathy, lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterols, and an increased predisposition of other vasculature diseases (Ascenzo et al 2007). It was found that exposure of AAS to the endothelial cells, the principal cell constituents of the vasculature networks, alters endothelial cell growth with a strong antiproliferative effect, induces apoptosis, and modifies intracellular levels of calcium (Ascenzo et al 2007). With these findings, it is no wonder that there is a strong link between vascular damage and androgenic anabolic steroids.
What does all this mean?
For starters, it shows some of the extreme effects androgenic anabolic steroids have on its users. One dangerous thing about it is that all our vasculature is internal; therefore these users are not seeing any immediate effects these drugs are doing to their bodies. So I guess the professional athletes should get their acts together, and if they have to rely on these steroids to improve their game, they shouldn’t be playing – The main reason why… they are role models to millions of aspiring athletes who would do anything to follow in these professional athletes footsteps.
That’s all I will be ranting about now….
- K-Lynn H
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