antioxidant enzyme network (was B6 supplement)

[Guest guest]

,

>>What about SOD itself

>

>It's not absorbed. Similar problem to taking oral glutathione itself

>rather than NAC.

Right. I didn't realize what an SOD upregulator was until your explanation

in this email, but that is basically what I meant - consuming something that

increases the body's production of SOD.

>

>>plus catalase

>

>I stupidly forgot to mention catalase. SOD, catalase and glutathione

>are the three which need to be carefully balanced because they're all

>interrelated. SOD is great, but extra SOD activity yields extra

>peroxide, and if there's not enough catalase and glutathione

>peroxidase around to turn the peroxide into water directly, some of

>the peroxide will go through the Fenton reaction and turn into

>hydroxyl radicals, which are extremely potent.

>

><http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubm

ed & dopt=Abstract & list_uids=7492966 & query_hl=1 & itool=pubmed_docsum>

This abstract is suggesting the need for adequate catalase and glutathione

peroxidase to reduce H202 from SOD to water, but it doesn't mention anything

about having extra glutathione as can be obtained from NAC. So I wonder what

would be the problem with extra glutathione, as you suggested in the

previous email?

>I don't know offhand of any dramatic way to genuinely upregulate

>catalase production in the same way that bacopa, for example,

>upregulates SOD or even that taking NAC and getting adequate dietary

>or supplemental selenium stimulates heightened glutathione peroxidase

>production,

Well, I do :-) I give Mokie a supplement every day that upregulates SOD,

glutathione peroxidase, catalase and methionine reductase. But you don't

like the supplement for other reasons, at least you mentioned as much when I

posted about it. I actually give her a combo of two products that upregulate

these things - AOX/PLX (concentrate from wheat sprouts) and I-Plex

(concentrate from broccoil sprouts). My brother has given AOX for years to

his dog with spondylosis and now gives I-Plex because it's a newer product

from the same company that is supposed to be more potent. Both of us feel

these supplements have played a major role in our dogs' longevity and

relative youthfulness (His dog is a wolf/GSD cross and is about 11 yrs old

and mine's a minpin that's 15 yrs old). His dog was supposed to be dead

about 6 years ago according to his vet, but I got him started on another SOD

product back then, plus fish oil (before I knew about the problems with fish

oil), then a couple of years later I convinced him to switch to AOX/PLX.

There's a noticable difference in the dog's mobility if he lowers the dose.

In any event, here's the write-up from the manufacturer on how it works. And

BTW, it was first formulated to help victims of the Chernobyl disaster. And

it was found that it reduced the affects of radiation damage on the

survivors.

http://www.biotecfoods.com/usa/products/aoxplx.htm

" AOX/PLXT is a proprietary blend of flavone rich sprouts grown specifically

to increase the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, and

combined with a special selenioorganic enzyme mimic which increases

glutathione peroxidase activity in our bodies. AOX/PLXT is cGMP

manufactured under strictly controlled conditions (temperature, humidity,

light, etc.), and processed with minimal heat to ensure the bioavailability

of the flavones which result in increased production of the targeted

antioxidant enzymes.

Some research indicates that heat destroys these critical precursors or

signaling molecules. Therefore, our products are even tableting using a

slow, low heat process. The result is a concentrated blend of superoxide

dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Methionine

Reductase.

(MET). When tested, AOX/PLXT has consistently shown significant increases

in glutathione peroxidase activity endogenously. In addition, endogenous

increases in SOD and CAT levels in humans and animals has been hypothesized,

tested and confirmed by independent, published works in renown scientific

journals including " The Journal of Free Radical Biology and Medicine. "

Research suggests that the antioxidant enzyme AOX/PLXT increases, is only

accomplished by in conjunction with specific interaction with intestinal

micro flora (See Citation 1), and perhaps even more importantly, by

stimulating or signaling one's own SOD3 gene internally production of these

antioxidant enzymes. (See Citations at 2, 3, 4) This is particularly

significant given that other oral forms of commercially available

superoxide dismutase (normally bovine liver extracts), like any other large

protein, cannot be absorbed or used by the mitochondria,5 and is most likely

broken down during digestion without contributing significantly to

intercellular SOD levels. "

but adequate dietary iron is certainly required -- which

>has had me wondering what the influence of lactoferrin on catalase

>production is.

Dunno, but an interesting question.

>

>I think selenium is also important for producing catalase, and copper

>and zinc and manganese are required for SOD, so getting enough

>minerals is obviously important.

Yes.

>

>>and methionine reductase?

>

>I'm less familiar with that one, but my understanding is that it's

>more of a specialized antioxidant as compared to the fundamental

>pillars of antioxidant functionality which SOD, catalase and

>glutathione are.

The link above says it removes the hydroxyl radical which is often

associated with heavy metal poisoning, radiation and industrial pollution. I

used to have a link with a great chart about the interactions of all these

antioxidant enzymes that showed the byproducts of each and which other ones

reduced those byproducts but the links are now dead unfortunately. But I

thought I remembered that the hydroxyl radical was somehow involved in the

network, not just in association with MR.

>

>>I guess I'm just not clear on why just an SOD

>>upregulator and glutathione would constitute a " balanced " antioxidant

>>system.

>

>I was careless with my wording. It's not that those two by

>themselves encompass balancing all antioxidant activity. It's that

>SOD, catalase and glutathione are extremely powerful -- much more so

>than many other antioxidants -- and there's an important reason to

>balance catalase and glutathione with SOD so that the Fenton reaction

>doesn't wind up screwing you over with lots of OH-. It's a lot

>easier to boost glutathione than it is to boost catalase AFAIK, so

>that's what I mentioned.

I thought you'd wind up with a lot of H202 not the hydroxyl radical since

SOD reduces super oxide to H202? In any event, methionine reductase to the

resuce for the OH-!

>

>>And what exactly is an SOD-upregulator?

>

>Something that boosts the body's production of superoxide dismutase.

D'oh! I shoulda figured.

>

>>I'm currently take NAC for my liver, so I'm very interested in your

>>information on this.

>

>It's all over the net -- well-established. E.g.:

><http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,809,00.html>

No, I know what NAC does, that's why I'm taking it! I was interested in what

you were saying about balancing it out with an SOD upregulator as I'd never

heard the term before so thought I might be missing some important piece of

info.

>>Bacopa seems

>>like the only non-drug SOD-upregulator. Is that correct?

>

>AFAIK, though I guess it depends on whether you'd call adequate

>supplies of necessary ingredients an " upregulator " .

Now that I know what an SOD upregulator is I wouldn't bother with Bacopa

since it only boosts SOD, I'll stick with my comprehensive AOX and I-Plex.

>

>Speaking of which, SOD is another one of those bloody single terms

>for multiple items. Offhand I'm not positive about exactly how many

>forms of SOD there are, but I think there are two: the mitochondrial

>form, which uses manganese, and the cellular form, which uses

>copper and zinc.

I don't know much about the different forms other than that they are

dependent on different minerals as you've mentioned.

Suze Fisher

Lapdog Design, Inc.

Web Design & Development

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg

Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine

http://www.westonaprice.org

----------------------------

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heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. " --

Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt

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The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

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----------------------------