Epigenetic effects of plasma concentrate

September 5, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system, Memory, Stress, Telomeres DNA methylation, Embryo development, Genetic factors, Neurodegenerative disease

“We use data from a safety study (n = 18, mean age 74) to investigate whether human umbilical cord plasma concentrate (hereinafter Plasma Concentrate) injected weekly (1 ml intramuscular) into elderly human subjects over a 10-week period affects different biomarkers, including epigenetic age measures, standard clinical biomarkers of organ dysfunction, mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), and leukocyte telomere length.

More than 20 clinical biomarkers were significantly and beneficially altered. Telomere length and mtDNA-CN were not significantly affected by treatment.

An increase in entropy means that the methylome becomes noisier. We found that entropy was significantly decreased after treatment. Decreased entropy may implicate rejuvenation of the epigenetic landscape after plasma concentrate treatments.

Treatment reduced DNA methylation-based GrimAge by an average of 0.82 years, suggesting a reduction in morbidity and mortality risk. By contrast, no significant results could be observed for epigenetic clocks that estimate chronological age.

Our study lends credence to the notion that there are youth-promoting factors in the secretome of umbilical cord plasma. This conclusion has also been reached by other researchers that have provided treatment with stem cells, which do not work by plasma dilution but primarily by providing humoral factors and changing the microenvironment of cells and tissues. While there may be youth-promoting microvesicles or humoral factors that are at work, we do not want to rule out the possibility that it is ‘young and undamaged’ albumin that leads to the improvements noted, especially in light of recent evidence for such a mechanism.

This first human epigenetic clock study of plasma concentrate treatments revealed age-reversal effects according to a well-established DNA methylation-based estimator of morbidity and mortality risk. Future placebo-controlled replication studies are warranted with a larger number of participants over a longer study period, which our laboratory has undertaken to pursue.”

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.13696 “Umbilical cord plasma concentrate has beneficial effects on DNA methylation GrimAge and human clinical biomarkers”

Improving dietary fiber research

August 29, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system Control group

Two 2022 papers on aspects of dietary fiber research, starting with a review:

“Considerable attention has been given to unraveling the interaction between fiber type and gut microbiota utilization, focusing mainly on single, purified fibers. Studying these fibers in isolation might give us insights into specific fiber effects, but neglects how dietary fibers are consumed daily and impact our digestive tract: as intrinsic structures that include the cell matrix and content of plant tissues.

Food processing per se is not health-detrimental. Certain foods are barely digestible without any processing, and for specific populations, e.g. those suffering from malnutrition or diseases, food processing is crucial. However, increased digestibility has resulted in negative health outcomes related to obesity and welfare diseases.

Intrinsic structural features of plant cells likely slow down fiber fermentation, inducing a lag phase, but do not necessarily reduce the absolute amount of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced. Consequently, there is a gradual release of SFCA, which means that SCFA production is not restricted to the proximal colon but spread throughout the whole colon, including its distal parts, benefiting local, mucosal health.

This translates into beneficial, systemic, peripheral effects as distal SCFA infusion in vivo has shown to induce more pronounced effects on biomarkers than proximal. Delayed fermentation of intrinsic fibers presents a highly relevant feature that isolated, single fibers do not have.

Instead of further processing our already extensively processed foods to create new products, we should minimize this processing, and exploit health benefits associated with the original cell matrix of plant tissues.”

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.954845/full “Intrinsic dietary fibers and the gut microbiome: Rediscovering the benefits of the plant cell matrix for human health”

Reference 115 was a human study by the same researchers:

“We investigated the impact of dried chicory root in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial with 55 subjects at risk for type 2 diabetes. Evidence for a trophic chain including Bifidobacterium and Anaerostipes spp. was recapitulated by in vitro incubations that resulted in high levels of butyrate and propionate production from the treatment product.

We observed a simultaneous increase in faecal and circulating SCFA levels, and a marked improvement in dynamic markers of glucose control. In subjects with a low relative abundance of Blautia spp. – a genus that previously has been associated with T2D – static glycaemic markers also decreased pronouncedly.

Our results demonstrate a strong modulatory potential on gut health and microbial metabolism by native inulin and cell wall fibres pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose in the intrinsic form of dried chicory roots.”

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/gut-microbiome/article/dried-chicory-root-improves-bowel-function-benefits-intestinal-microbial-trophic-chains-and-increases-faecal-and-circulating-short-chain-fatty-acids-in-subjects-at-risk-for-type-2-diabetes/6209AEAFBDDB181197F22AE24388186B# “Dried chicory root improves bowel function, benefits intestinal microbial trophic chains and increases faecal and circulating short chain fatty acids in subjects at risk for type 2 diabetes”

Another use of a routine blood test

August 24, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Cerebrum, Immune system

A 2022 human study investigated three measurements of the CBC with Differential/Platelet test:

“This study explored the relationship between the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and stroke prognosis. SII was defined as neutrophils × platelets/lymphocytes. Neutrophils and lymphocytes are involved in the inflammatory and immune response, whereas platelets have a primary role in the thrombo-inflammation of stroke.

Patients were divided into four groups according to SII values: quartile (Q)1 <366; Q2 366–533; Q3 534–799; and Q4 ≥800. As the SII quartile increased, patients with acute ischemic stroke were more likely to have poor functional outcomes during follow-up.

Although age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption are risk factors, and female estrogen is a protective factor for stroke, we did not identify subgroups specifically being affected by these factors. Even if we adjusted our model for factors identified by previous studies as immune-inflammation markers that might affect prognosis, such as the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, our results still suggested that SII is closely related to short- and long-term prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

As a new type of immune-inflammation index, the SII integrates neutrophils, platelets, and lymphocytes, and can reflect the balance of the systemic immune response and inflammatory response.”

https://www.aging-us.com/article/204228/text “Correlation of the systemic immune-inflammation index with short- and long-term prognosis after acute ischemic stroke”

Non-patentable boron benefits

August 14, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Acetylcholine, Amygdala, Cerebellum, Cortisol, Dopamine, Epigenetics, Glutamate, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Immune system, Limbic system, Lower brain, Memory, Neurochemicals, Serotonin, Stress Brain neurons, Control group, Genetic factors, Infants, Neurodegenerative disease, Prefrontal cortex

To follow up Is boron important to health? I’ll highlight a 2022 review of boron intake:

“Boron is essential for activity of several metabolic enzymes, hormones, and micronutrients. It is important for growth and maintenance of bone, reduction in inflammatory biomarkers, and increasing levels of antioxidant enzymes.

The average person’s daily diet contains 1.5 to 3 milligrams of boron. Boron intakes of 1–3 mg/day have been shown to improve bone and brain health in adults when compared to intakes of 0.25–0.50 mg/day.

One week of 10 mg/d boron supplementation resulted in a 20% reduction in inflammatory biomarkers TNF-α, as well as significant reductions (nearly 50%) in plasma concentrations of hs-CRP and IL-6. Calcium fructoborate, a naturally occurring, plant-based boron-carbohydrate complex, had beneficial effects on osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms. A double-blind study in middle-aged patients with primary OA found that all groups except the placebo group saw a reduction in inflammatory biomarkers after 15 days of food supplementation with calcium fructoborate.

Dietary boron intake significantly improves brain function and cognitive functioning in humans. Electroencephalograms showed that boron pharmacological intervention after boron deficiency improved functioning in older men and women, such as less drowsiness and mental alertness, better psychomotor skills (for example, motor speed and dexterity), and better cognitive processing (e.g., attention and short-term memory). Boron compounds can help with both impaired recognition and spatial memory problems.

We discussed the role of boron-based diet in memory, boron and microbiome relation, boron as anti-inflammatory agents, and boron in neurodegenerative diseases. Boron reagents will play a significant role to improve dysbiosis.”

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/11/3402/htm “The Role of Microbiome in Brain Development and Neurodegenerative Diseases”

Findings, or fun with numbers?

August 13, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system, Stress Control group, Genetic factors

This 2022 rodent study investigated bone mass phenotypes and sulforaphane:

“Mouse strains can have divergent basal bone mass, yet this phenotype is seldom reflected in the design of studies seeking to identify new modulators of bone resorption by osteoclasts. Sulforaphane exerts inhibitory effects on in vitro osteoclastogenesis in cells from C57BL/6 mice. We explore whether a divergent basal bone mass in different mouse strains is linked both to in vitro osteoclastogenic potential and to SFX-01 sensitivity.

Powerful antioxidants are an alternative to achieve beneficial bone effects and avoidance of osteoporotic bone loss. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a natural antioxidant found at high levels (as glucoraphanin) in cruciferous vegetables. SFN activates the NRF2 pathway and has anti-inflammatory effects, protecting against oxidative stress in many cell types.

These findings suggest that BM cells derived from animals with a high in vivo bone mass are less sensitive to M-CSF and RANKL in vitro leading to lower osteoclastogenesis. They also support the hypothesis that similar sensitivity extends to inhibitory effects of SFX-01 on osteoclast formation/function.

It is important to stress that osteoclasts generated in these strains may simply undergo multinucleation in a manner related to their underpinning genetics, and that by coincidence alone this is matched to their bone mass.”

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbf.3734 “High bone mass in mice can be linked to lower osteoclast formation, resorptive capacity, and restricted in vitro sensitivity to inhibition by stable sulforaphane”

I curated this study primarily for its honesty. I’ll link this post to future posts of studies where researchers lack similar honesty.

Broccoli sprouts and your brain

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 gettingwell4 0-1 star Wasted resources, Brain development, Cerebrum, Dopamine, Epigenetics, Glutamate, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Immune system, Limbic system, Memory, Neurochemicals, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Stress Brain neurons, DNA methylation, Embryo development, Genetic factors, Neural plasticity, Neurodegenerative disease

A 2022 review of Nrf2 signaling hilariously avoided mentioning sulforaphane, although of ~4,000 sulforaphane published articles, two were cited. I’ll curate it anyway to highlight referenced brain effects.

“A good stability of NRF2 activity is crucial to maintain redox balance and therefore brain homeostasis. In this review, we have gathered recent data about the contribution of the NRF2 pathway in the healthy brain as well as during metabolic diseases, ageing, and ageing-related neurodegenerative diseases.

A functional NRF2 system is important to regulate both neuroinflammation, i.e., activation of microglia and astrocytes, and oxidative stress in the brain. NRF2 and NF-κB transcription factors regulate cellular responses to inflammation and oxidative stress in order to maintain brain homeostasis. Both pathways have been described to inhibit each other.

Future challenges will be to establish novel therapies to:

Increase NRF2 activation in specific cell types and/or brain regions; and

Modulate NRF2 pathway in senescent cells.

Modulation of NRF2 signalling pathway by using specific food products [like unmentioned broccoli sprouts] and phytochemicals [like unmentioned sulforaphane], dietary supplements [like unmentioned Vitamin D3], drugs, and epigenetic modifiers, alone or in combination, will help to limit inflammatory diseases, ageing process, and subsequently ageing-related diseases.”

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/8/1426/htm “Normal and Pathological NRF2 Signalling in the Central Nervous System”

Week 120 of Changing to a youthful phenotype with sprouts

August 1, 2022November 30, 2023 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Beliefs, Epigenetics, Immune system Control group, Genetic factors

It was time for an annual physical last Wednesday. My focus was to see whether reducing sulforaphane intake per Week 87 had the desired effect on thyroid measurements.

That and other adjustments did! Readings of TSH 2.91 (0.45 – 4.50 uIU/mL), free T4 1.22 (0.82 − 1.77 ng/dL), and free T3 2.4 (2.0 – 4.4 pg/mL) were all in-range. 🙂

I won’t repeat the Week 63 workbook calculations done after last year’s annual physical. To me, that’s another form of magical thinking.

Every explanation of those reference ranges, and optimal ranges built from all-cause mortality statistics, requires a suffix “of people who didn’t positively change their healthspan and lifespan.” What value is there in optimizing (pick a measurement) against those outcomes? Why compare my efforts, or results, or any other aspect of my life, to people who didn’t actionably care about their one precious life?

I’m not deflecting with poor measurements:

3 of the 5 values in last year’s optimal ranges got better, and the other 2 stayed the same; and
2 of the 4 values that weren’t in last year’s optimal ranges came into those ranges, and the other 2 got better but stayed outside an optimal range.

We each have a lot at stake. Bad things like diseases of old age happen on their own. If we want good things to happen, we have to make them happen.

Consider this from The impact of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and early life experiences:

“Every disease is connected to the immune system.”

Are people making good choices every day for their immune systems?

Is boron important to health?

July 31, 2022July 31, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system, Stress, Testosterone Brain neurons, Control group, Genetic factors

Three papers on boron, starting with a 2022 review:

“Boron-containing compounds (BCC) have effects in the metabolism of living organisms. Information regarding effects and interaction of these compounds was compiled, and potential applications for treating human metabolic disorders was suggested.

Dietary boron supplementation affects metabolism of calcium, magnesium, triglycerides, glucose, amino acids, reactive oxygen, nitrogen species, and hormones such as 17β-estradiol, calcitonin, and 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol. When food is boron-deprived, there are adverse effects like depressed growth, reduced serum steroid hormone concentrations, changes in plasma and organ calcium and magnesium concentrations, plasma alkaline phosphatase, and bone calcification on animal biological functions.

Exploration of basic BCC as metabolism regulators is expanding. Although mechanisms of action are uncertain, limitation of damage induced by reactive species, inflammatory modulation, or activities on some enzymes and membrane transporters are often related to reported effects.

An increasing number of new BCC are emerging as potential tools for prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of metabolism maladies such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, cardiovascular, and liver diseases. For those innovative BCC, mechanisms of action are often clear.”

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12011-022-03346-9 “Boron‑Containing Compounds for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Human Metabolic Disorders” (not freely available) Thanks to Dr. Marvin A Soriano-Ursúa for providing a link to a freely available document.

A second paper was a 2021 human study:

“In our elderly population-based sample, a boron-rich diet appeared to be characterized by high intakes of plant foods presumed to be healthy, low intakes of plant foods presumed to be less healthy, and low intakes of all kinds of animal foods.

Higher plasma boron concentrations were related to lower BMI and circulating concentrations of CRP. Plasma boron concentrations were associated with age, phosphate, and plasma lipid metabolism, and showed seasonal variations.

Human intervention studies are warranted to derive causal relationships of circulating and dietary boron with human health and metabolism. Robust databases on boron content of foods are needed to facilitate investigation of dietary boron intake in human studies.

Clarification of the non-/essentiality of trace element boron for human health will form the basis to derive recommendations for a dietary boron intake being sufficient to exert boron’s proposed beneficial physiological roles.”

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-021-02730-w “Plasma boron concentrations in the general population: a cross-sectional analysis of cardio-metabolic and dietary correlates”

As noted in this study, public agencies don’t consider dietary boron content important enough to include in public databases. My daily boron dietary intake estimated from published private databases is:

Walnuts, 1.63 mg x (28.3 g / 100 g) = .5 mg
Red kidney beans, 1.4 mg x (12 g / 100 g) = .2 mg
Chickpeas, 0.71 mg x (40 g / 100 g) = .3 mg
Celery, 0.5 mg x (72 g / 100 g) = .4 mg
Carrots, 0.3 mg x ( 76 g / 100 g) = .3 mg
Coffee .07 mg x 3 cups = .2 mg

2 mg boron daily dietary total

A third paper was a 2022 rodent study:

“Sodium pentaborate pentahydrate (NaB) 1 and 2 mg elemental B/kg supplementation induces the anagen phase in rats via Wnt-1, β-catenin, VEGF, PDGF, and TGF-β1 signaling pathways, which are important molecular mechanisms involved in hair growth.

NaB 4 mg B/kg suppresses these pathways and adversely affects hair growth.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0946672X22000876 “Sodium pentaborate pentahydrate promotes hair growth through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and growth factors” (not freely available)

A human equivalent of this study’s rat 1 mg elemental boron intake is (1 mg x .162) x 70 kg = 11 mg.

Trained immunity epigenetics

July 28, 2022July 28, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system, Memory Control group, DNA methylation, Genetic factors, Infants

Two papers on trained immunity, starting with a 2022 review:

“Live attenuated vaccines such as the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin, measles-containing vaccines, and the oral polio vaccine have been shown to reduce overall mortality beyond their effects attributable to the targeted diseases.

After an encounter with a primary stimulus, epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of bone marrow progenitor cells and functional changes of tissue immune cell populations result in augmented immune responses against a secondary challenge. This process has been termed trained immunity.

Main epigenetic events during induction of trained immunity are:

Chromosomal reorganization on the level of topologically associated domains;

Induction of long noncoding RNA activity;

Histone modifications and chromatin accessibility; and

DNA (de)methylation.

An epigenetic enzyme belonging to the lysine methyltransferase family, Set7, possesses vital function in β-glucan training of monocytes. When inhibited, trained immunity phenotype is diminished, while Set7 deficient mice cannot establish innate immune memory.

β-glucan is recognized by Dectin-1, and has been known to lead to a shift from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to glycolysis as an ATP source. However, a more recent study reported an increase in both glycolysis and oxygen consumption following training, which signals a higher rate of OXPHOS. This discrepancy is explained by the difference in concentration of β-glucan used in the experiments.

Stopping vaccination with measles and polio once the pathogens are eradicated, or replacing live attenuated polio with inactivated polio, should be done with caution, as it may have a substantial impact on childhood mortality. Trained immunity may also represent an important new approach to improve current vaccines, or to develop novel vaccines that combine induction of classical adaptive immune memory and innate immune memory.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952791522000371 “Trained immunity: implications for vaccination”

Reference 34 was a 2020 study by two of the same coauthors that provided details on the above discrepancy:

“Findings presented by the current study suggest that the disparity in terms of the role of OXPHOS arises from the stimulatory dose of β-glucan [by intraperitoneal injection]. A β-glucan concentration of 1 μg/mL induces both glycolysis and OXPHOS, whereas a concentration of 10 μg/mL induces glycolysis but inhibits OXPHOS.”

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(20)30458-7 “The Set7 Lysine Methyltransferase Regulates Plasticity in Oxidative Phosphorylation Necessary for Trained Immunity Induced by β-Glucan”

The goddess of rainbows

July 27, 2022July 27, 2022 gettingwell4 5+ stars Premium, Acetylcholine, Dopamine, Epigenetics, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Immune system, Limbic system, Memory, Neurochemicals, Stress, Telomeres Brain neurons, Control group, DNA methylation, Genetic factors, Neural plasticity, Neurodegenerative disease

Two 2022 papers, starting with a review of irisin:

“This article is an overview of irisin generation, secretion, and tissue distribution. Its targeting of tissues or organs for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases is systematically summarized, with discussion of underlying molecular mechanisms.

Irisin is an exercise-induced myokine expressed as a bioactive peptide in multiple tissues and organs. Exercise and cold exposure are major inducers for its secretion.

Mechanistic studies confirm that irisin is closely correlated with lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammation, ROS, endocrine, neurotrophic factors, cell regeneration and repairing, and central nervous system regulation. Irisin decreases with age, and is closely associated with a wide range of aging-related diseases.

A number of studies in elderly humans and animal models have shown that exercise can promote the body’s circulation and increase irisin levels in some tissues and organs. Resistance, aerobic, or combined exercise seem to play a positive role. However, exercise could not change serum irisin in some reported studies.

There are large individual differences in exercise training in the elderly population. Since the half-life of irisin in the body is less than 1 h, it is necessary to pay attention to the time of blood sampling after a single exercise intervention. Some factors that impede detection of irisin levels in vivo include the half-life of irisin protein, sampling time, different tissues, and different health statuses before and after intervention.

It is worth noting that high-intensity exercise shows higher irisin levels even with the same energy expenditure during exercise. Precision studies of irisin in elderly subjects following exercise intervention need to be further clarified.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722001222 “Irisin, An Exercise-induced Bioactive Peptide Beneficial for Health Promotion During Aging Process” (not freely available) Thanks to Dr. Ning Chen for providing a copy.

A second paper was a human study too recent to be cited by the first paper. I’ll highlight its irisin findings:

“We investigated the complex relationship among DNAm based biomarkers of aging, including DNAmFitAge, a variety of physiological functioning variables, blood serum measures including cholesterol, irisin level, and redox balance, and the microbiome on 303 healthy individuals aged between 33 and 88 years with a diverse level of physical fitness. Regular exercise was associated with younger biological age, better memory, and more protective blood serum levels.

Our research intends to show that regular physical exercise is related to microbiota and methylation differences which are both beneficial to aging and measurable. Our research provides the first investigation between microbiome derived metabolic pathways and DNAm based aging biomarkers.

Irisin levels decrease with age (0.23 average decrease for every 1 year older). We found age-related decreases in irisin levels were attenuated by exercise training. The link between irisin to GrimAge Acceleration and FitAge Acceleration is a novel observation.

HDL is positively associated with irisin. HDL and irisin have complex roles in physiology, and the positive relationship we observe between physical exercise and HDL and irisin align with protective effects seen between HDL and irisin with glucose homeostasis.

This work further supports the biological importance of irisin to the aging process. It is possible our research motivates interventions to boost irisin, like through physical exercise, as possible anti-aging therapies.”

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.22.22277842v1 “DNA methylation clock DNAmFitAge shows regular exercise is associated with slower aging and systemic adaptation”

Variable aging measurements

July 23, 2022September 20, 2022 gettingwell4 2-3 stars Required further work, Acetylcholine, Epigenetics, Immune system, Memory, Neurochemicals, Stress, Telomeres Control group, DNA methylation, Genetic factors, Neural plasticity, Neurodegenerative disease

Two papers on aging measurements, starting with a 2022 human study:

“We collected longitudinally across the adult age range a comprehensive list of phenotypes within four domains (body composition, energetics, homeostatic mechanisms and neurodegeneration / neuroplasticity) and functional outcomes. We integrated individual deviations from population trajectories into a global longitudinal phenotypic metric of aging.

We demonstrate that accelerated longitudinal phenotypic aging is associated with faster physical and cognitive decline, faster accumulation of multimorbidity, and shorter survival.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-022-00243-7 “Longitudinal phenotypic aging metrics in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging”

I disagree with this study’s methodology.

1. Although it acknowledged individual variability, nothing was done to positively adjust to those facts. What could have been done per A review of biological variability was:

“Obtain a measurement of variability that is independent of the mean to ensure to not confound changes in variability with shifts in mean.”

2. A usual research practice is to take at least three measurements, and use their average as representative. That wasn’t done here, maybe because of time and expense considerations?

3. An important measurement for physical function was the time to finish a 400 meter walk. I walk more than ten times that almost every day. I use the first 400 meters as a warmup period while getting to the beach to walk eastward and enjoy the predawn light and water animal activity. I concentrate on gait speed during the last third while walking westward on a straightaway bike path.

This study would measure my gait speed as a sometimes old person during the first 400 meters, rather than a gait speed that usually approaches a young person’s during the last 400 meters. Even if I tried to walk my fastest right out of the gate, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a decade or two difference by this study’s measurements between a morning walk’s first and last 400 meter gait speeds.

4. An important cognitive function measurement was the Digital Symbol Substitution Test, apparently taken during subjects’ fasted state? Sometimes after exercising, I’m okay cognitively when starting work in a fasted state at 6:30 a.m., and other times I’m tired.

Two days ago during the last hour of work 1:30-2:30 p.m., I did outstanding work, four hours after eating whole oats for breakfast, and after drinking two coffees and three teas. I took time to put together pieces of puzzles into proper contexts for management’s attention. My bosses weren’t too pleased with the story it told, but it is what it is.

5. Are measurements of how you start what matters? Or is it how you finish, as is common in competitive sports?

This study would measure my cognitive function as a sometimes old person, rather than performance that approaches a young person’s later in the workday. For both physical and cognitive function, my abilities to ramp up and come close to young people’s capabilities are features that I work on, not random, inconvenient measurement variability.

6. Blood measurements were downgraded as having “limited coverage of the four phenotypic domains.” These were taken to fit into specific paradigms and epigenetic clocks. They predictably failed to show causality, as acknowledged with:

“Our analysis showed strong associations between global longitudinal phenotypic score and changes in physical and cognitive function. We did not have sufficient observations to fully separate these two dimensions over time, which would have strengthened the assumption of causality.”

Nowhere in this study was it hinted that all measurements were downstream effects of unmeasured causes. A follow-on study could reanalyze these subjects’ blood samples, MRI, and other measurements for originating upstream factors of signaling pathways and cascades per Signaling pathways and aging and An environmental signaling paradigm of aging.

Reference 35 of this first study was a 2021 human and rodent study that was tossed in as a limitation with:

“We might not have all of the relevant phenotypic measures (for example, more detailed immune profiles) for all participants.”

Its findings included:

“From the blood immunome of 1,001 individuals aged 8–96 years, we developed a deep-learning method based on patterns of systemic age-related inflammation. The resulting inflammatory clock of aging (iAge) tracked with multimorbidity, immunosenescence, frailty and cardiovascular aging, and is also associated with exceptional longevity in centenarians.

Canonical markers of acute infection such as IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were not major contributors to iAge, indicating that, except for IL-1β, infection-driven inflammatory markers of the acute inflammatory response do not contribute to age-related chronic inflammation.

We conducted a follow-up study in an independent cohort of 97 extremely healthy adults (aged 25–90 years) matched for cardiovascular risk factors (including conserved levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), selected from a total of 151 recruited participants using strict selection criteria. In this healthy cohort, inflammation markers were measured using a 48-plex cytokine panel. Only 6 circulating immune proteins were significantly correlated with age, with CXCL9 again the largest contributor to age-related inflammation.

CXCL9 is a T-cell chemoattractant induced by IFN-γ and is mostly produced by neutrophils, macrophages and endothelial cells (ECs). We find that CXCL9 is mainly produced by aged endothelium and predicts subclinical levels of cardiovascular aging in nominally healthy individuals.

We did not find any significant correlation between known disease risk factors reported in the study (BMI, smoking, dyslipidemia) and levels of CXCL9 gene or protein expression. We hypothesize that one root cause of CXCL9 overproduction is cellular aging per se, which can trigger metabolic dysfunction.

As ECs but not cardiomyocytes expressed the CXCL9 receptor, CXCR3, we hypothesize that this chemokine acts both in a paracrine fashion (when it is produced by macrophages to attract T cells to the site of injury) and in an autocrine fashion (when it is produced by the endothelium) creating a positive feedback loop. In this model, increasing doses of CXCL9 and expression of its receptor in these cells leads to cumulative deterioration of endothelial function in aging.

IFN-γ did not increase in expression in our cellular aging RNA-seq experiment, suggesting that there are triggers of CXCL9 (other than IFN-γ) that play a role in cellular senescence in the endothelium that are currently unknown. However, in our 1KIP study, IFN-γ was in fact the second-most important negative contributor to iAge, which could be explained by the cell-priming effect of cytokines, where the effect of a first cytokine alters the response to a different one.

iAge derived from immunological cytokines gives us an insight into the salient cytokines that are related to aging and disease. A notable difference compared to other clocks is that iAge is clearly actionable as shown by our experiments in CXCL9 where we can reverse aging phenotypes. More practical approaches range from altering a person’s exposomes (lifestyle) and/or the use of interventions to target CXCL9 and other biomarkers described here.

Our immune metric for human health can identify within healthy older adults with no clinical or laboratory evidence of cardiovascular disease, those at risk for early cardiovascular aging. We demonstrate that CXCL9 is a master regulator of vascular function and cellular senescence, which indicates that therapies targeting CXCL9 could be used to prevent age-related deterioration of the vascular system and other physiological systems as well.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-021-00082-y “An inflammatory aging clock (iAge) based on deep learning tracks multimorbidity, immunosenescence, frailty and cardiovascular aging”

Blanching broccoli sprouts

July 14, 2022July 15, 2022 gettingwell4 2-3 stars Required further work, Acetylcholine, Epigenetics, Immune system, Neurochemicals, Stress Brain neurons, Control group, Genetic factors

Three 2022 papers of interest cited Sulforaphane: Its “Coming of Age” as a Clinically Relevant Nutraceutical in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease. Let’s start with a fairly straightforward analysis of blanching broccoli sprouts to produce sulforaphane:

“We investigated the effect of blanching conditions to determine the optimal treatment that maximizes sulforaphane (SFN) content in broccoli sprouts. Broccoli seeds grown under controlled conditions were harvested after 11 days from germination and subjected to different blanching conditions based on a central composite design with temperature and time as experimental factors.

Optimum conditions were blanching at 61 °C for 4.8 min, resulting in 54.3 ± 0.20 µmol SFN/g dry weight, representing a 3.3-fold increase with respect to untreated sprouts. This is the highest SFN content reported for sprouts subjected to any treatment so far.

Broccoli sprouts (20 g) were put in plastic bags, which were vacuum-sealed, and then subjected to time (3.4–11 min)–temperature (32–88 °C) combinations.

Blanching at 60 °C for less than 8 min resulted in the highest SFN content.

Above this temperature, SFN content decreases.

The exceptionally high values obtained in this work may be related to treatment, but also to broccoli cultivar and culture conditions.

Different broccoli tissues and developmental stages express different myrosinase isoforms, and catalytic properties of the enzyme may vary among different tissues. Myrosinase found in broccoli florets has an optimal temperature of around 40 °C, and considering myrosinases from other sources, this temperature may vary between 30 and 70 °C.”

https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/13/1906/htm “Maximization of Sulforaphane Content in Broccoli Sprouts by Blanching”

This first study used heat-only techniques similar to the uncited Enhancing sulforaphane content. It similarly found a 60°C (140°F) myrosinase cliff as have many other uncited studies.

A second paper was a rodent study:

“We investigated the role of sulforaphane, a well-known NRF2 activator, on age-related mitochondrial and kidney dysfunction. Young (2–4 month) and aged (20–24 month) male Fischer 344 rats were treated with sulforaphane (15 mg/kg body wt/day) in drinking water for four weeks.

Sulforaphane significantly improved mitochondrial function and ameliorated kidney injury by increasing cortical NRF2 expression and activity and decreasing protein expression of KEAP1, a NRF2 repressor. Sulforaphane treatment did not affect renal NRF2 expression or activity and mitochondrial function in young rats.”

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/1/156/htm “Age-Related Mitochondrial Impairment and Renal Injury Is Ameliorated by Sulforaphane via Activation of Transcription Factor NRF2”

A human equivalent to this second study’s daily dose was intolerable at (.162 x 15 mg) x 70 kg = 170 mg. I curated this study anyway just to show an example of negligible treatment effects in young animals even when a dose is too high for humans.

A third paper was a review that focused on sulforaphane and its analogs’ chemistry:

“Analysis of the Web of Science database shows that, since 1992, about 3,890 articles have been published on SFN, and over 5,600 on isothiocyanates. Its natural analogs include iberin, alyssin, iberverin, erucin, berteroin, cheirolin, and erysolin.

SFN is a biologically active, natural isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, and is non-toxic. It has been selected for phase I and II clinical trials, where it is administered in the form of an extract or broccoli sprouts. There are no differences in biological activity between SFN and its natural analogs, such as erucin or alyssin.

No synthetic analogs of SFN described in this review qualified for clinical trials. This is likely due to the toxicity of these compounds in higher doses.”

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/5/1750/htm “Sulforaphane and Its Bifunctional Analogs: Synthesis and Biological Activity”

Supplement evidence and counter-evidence

July 9, 2022July 10, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system, Stress Control group, Genetic factors

Three 2022 papers, starting with a rabbit study of dietary supplements:

“Adding native type II collagen (NC) to the combination of chondroitin sulfate (CS), glucosamine hydrochloride (GlHCl), and hyaluronic acid (HA) showed improvements on osteoarthritis progression. Disease progression was monitored at different time points using magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers, measurement of hyaluronic acid in synovial fluid, and macroscopic and microscopic evaluations of cartilage, synovial membrane and subchondral bone.

CTR (control group–no treatment), CGH (60.38 mg/kg CS + 75.47 mg/kg GlHCl + 3.35 mg/kg HA) and CGH-NC (60.38 mg/kg CS + 75.47 mg/kg GlHCl + 3.35 mg/kg HA + 0.67 mg/kg NC). Clearer colors result in an increase of the frequency of each stage of the disease. Significant differences can be appreciated in the CGH-NC group, compared to the other groups over time.

Oral administration of CS with GlHCl and HA, with or without NC, is safe, and provides significant improvements in OA progression. Adding NC leads to better outcomes seen on macroscopic and microscopic evaluation and MRI biomarkers.”

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/11/1401/htm “Improved Joint Health Following Oral Administration of Glycosaminoglycans with Native Type II Collagen in a Rabbit Model of Osteoarthritis”

A rodent study of bone growth and similar dietary supplements taken separately found pretty much the opposite:

“Female C57BL/6 mice bred in house were used. Starting at 11 weeks of age, animals were given dietary supplements of either hydrolyzed type I collagen at 1 g/kg, glucosamine sulfate potassium chloride at 300 mg/kg, chondroitin sulfate sodium salt at 250 mg/kg, or fish oil at 1 g/kg. These values were calculated using a body surface area (BSA) calculation from human dosage values of 81.1 mg/kg for collagen, 24.3 mg/kg for glucosamine, 20.3 mg/kg for chondroitin sulfate and 81.1 mg/kg for fish oil.

Our findings indicate that dietary supplements had little impact on bone morphology or mechanics in young female mice and cannot be used to improve bone’s fracture resistance. Bone quality, inferred from material-level mechanical properties and fracture toughness, did not improve with treatment. The only alteration in bone quality was a decrease in elastic modulus with glucosamine or fish oil, which is considered negative and would not be advantageous in preventing fracture.

These data suggest that adding more basic components of the bone matrix into the diet of growing mice does not improve quality of bone tissue. Dietary supplements may be more beneficial in individuals without a balanced diet or in those with an increased risk of fracture, such as those experiencing estrogen loss.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-14068-2 “Dietary supplements do not improve bone morphology or mechanical properties in young female C57BL/6 mice”

This second study cited a 2015 article Translating dosages from animal models to human clinical trials—revisiting body surface area scaling in this context:

“Dosage in this study was determined by using the BSA formula. This technique does have its drawbacks as it does not take into differences in murine metabolism as discussed more in depth elsewhere, but the lack of pharmacokinetic data for dietary supplements in mice prevented a more complex conversion.”

That article has been cited many times, including in a 2022 review:

“Dose-based methodologies for predicting human clinical doses from preclinical data were assessed for oncology drugs. BSA-based approaches were predictive for small molecule oncology drugs, in particular for kinase inhibitors and cytotoxic agents, but prediction was poor for drugs with immune and endocrine components to their mechanisms.

BSA conversion of doses was clearly inappropriate for large molecules. Direct mg/kg-based prediction was more relevant to large molecules with molecular weight > 100 kDa and in particular antibody-drug conjugates.

This approach is theoretically applicable to other therapeutic areas, and if validated in other therapeutic areas, may provide an easy estimate of clinical doses early in the drug discovery and development process to facilitate compound selection and risk management. Later in the drug development process, dose-based methods should be superseded by exposure- and mechanism-based methodologies whenever possible.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9087189/ “Predicting Approximate Clinically Effective Doses in Oncology Using Preclinical Efficacy and Body Surface Area Conversion: A Retrospective Analysis”

I’ve used body surface area calculations for human equivalent doses, for example, the small molecule sulforaphane at 177.3 g / mol or 177 Da.

Three of the first study’s human equivalent doses can be calculated by the body surface area factor 0.324 for rabbits since molecular weight of chondroitin sulfate is 463.37 g / mol, glucosamine hydrochloride is 215.63 g / mol, and hyaluronic acid is 403.31 g / mol. Human equivalent doses are:

Chondroitin sulfate (.324 x 60.38 mg) x 70 kg = 1,369 mg;
Glucosamine hydrochloride (.324 x 75.47 mg) x 70 kg = 1,712 mg; and
Hyaluronic acid (.324 x 3.35 mg) x 70 kg = 76 mg.

These three weights are all close to supplement weights advertised to be effective.

Undenatured type II collagen in the first study is 300 kDa, and hydrolyzed type I collagen in the second study varies from 0.3 to 8 kDa. Per the third paper’s recommendation of using mg/kg calculations for large molecules, human equivalent doses would be (0.67 mg x 70 kg) = 47 mg for type II and (81.1 mg x 70 kg) = 5,677 mg for type I, respectively. These two weights are also close to supplement weights advertised to be effective.

Eat broccoli sprouts for your gut

July 4, 2022August 1, 2022 gettingwell4 5+ stars Premium, Epigenetics, Immune system, Stress Control group, Genetic factors

Two 2022 papers, starting with a review of sulforaphane’s effects on intestinal inflammation:

“This review summarizes characteristics of intestinal inflammation, the anti-inflammatory mechanism of sulforaphane (SFN) and its various protective effects on intestinal inflammation, and possible future applications of SFN for promoting intestinal health.

SFN is an effective agonist of Nrf2, and it is also able to inhibit expression of inflammation-related genes by activating Nrf2. This kind of anti-inflammatory mechanism has already been confirmed in treatment of intestinal mucositis using SFN.

The main absorption site of SFN after oral administration is the small intestine, and its achievable dose for the hind intestine may be lower than the expected dose. Although absorbed SFN can reach the large intestine through intestinal blood and other transportation routes, its therapeutic effect on target tissues may not be as efficient as it would be when the expected dose is directly absorbed by hindgut cells.

Considering that there are several predisposing factors that lead to intestinal inflammation, more research on the effect of SFN on intestinal inflammation with different causes and characteristics should be carried out. Appropriate carriers should be selected according to the onset site and related physiological environment, and a scientific and effective intestinal targeted delivery system for SFN needs to be developed.”

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/FO/D1FO03398K “The functional role of sulforaphane in intestinal inflammation: a review” (not freely available). Thanks to Professor Lei Zheng for providing a copy.

Reference 89 – Sulforaphane Normalizes Intestinal Flora and Enhances Gut Barrier in Mice with BBN-Induced Bladder Cancer (not freely available) – in the above graphic was cited for:

“The effect of SFN intervention on intestinal injury in mice with bladder cancer was investigated. It was found that SFN significantly reduced tissue damage in the colon and cecum of mice and normalized the imbalance in intestinal flora caused by BBN, which manifested as an increase in Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium cluster 1, thus promoting SCFA production.

SFN administration upregulated expression of tight junction proteins including ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1 and glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP2) to repair damage of mucosal epithelium of the colon and caecum, while reducing release of IL-6 and the secreted immunoglobulin A (SIgA). This study showed for the first time SFN’s alleviating effect on intestinal inflammation may be produced by regulating intestinal flora structure, suggesting that the protective effect of SFN on intestinal health could be multidirectional.”

That study’s 2022 follow-on rodent study also used oral sulforaphane doses:

“This study was undertaken to assess the potential efficacy of SFN in ameliorating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice and to elucidate underlying mechanisms.

Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with various doses of SFN (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg body weight). In DSS colitis mice, the hallmarks of disease observed as shortened colon lengths, increased disease activity index scores and pathological damage, higher proinflammatory cytokines and decreased expression of tight junction proteins, were alleviated by SFN treatment.

5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day of SFN treatment significantly ameliorated inflammatory damage in mice colon tissue when compared to the colitis group.

5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day of SFN remarkably mitigated morphological alterations and protected colonic tissue integrity.

Nrf2 expression was increased significantly by 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day of SFN treatment.

SFN partially restored perturbed gut microbiota composition, and increased production of volatile fatty acids (especially caproic acid) induced by DSS administration.

The contents of butyric acid, iso-butyric acid, valeric acid, and iso-valeric acid were all decreased in DSS-induced colitis mice and in 2.5 mg/kg/day of the SFN treatment group, whereas this decreased tendency was reversed by 10 and 20 mg/kg/day of SFN.

A proposed mechanism by which SFN protects against colitis:

Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), and Phase II enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) were involved in the protective effect of SFN against DSS-induced colitis.

Nrf2 activation followed by STAT3 signaling pathway play a pivotal role in the protective effect of SFN on colitis. SFN can be considered a potential candidate in the treatment of IBD.”

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.893344/full “The Protective Effect of Sulforaphane on Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis Depends on Gut Microbial and Nrf2-Related Mechanism”

A human equivalent dose of the second paper’s oral dose of 20 mg sulforaphane / kg body weight is (.081 x 20 mg) x 70 kg = 113 mg. Per Estimating daily consumption of broccoli sprout compounds, I ate about half that every day by microwaving 3-day-old broccoli sprouts through Week 56, when I cut back to about 35 mg a day. I dialed that back in Week 87 to about 17 mg a day (100 μmol), which is used in a plethora of studies.

I’ve never had ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease. If I would be diagnosed with either, it would take about five minutes to get back to this study’s equivalent of 10 mg / kg body weight with broccoli seeds and sprouts.

Doubling that to 20 mg may involve taking supplements, though. Haven’t checked for commercial availability lately, but I’ve read a dozen or so studies on encapsulating sulforaphane so that it could reach the colon.

The soluble receptor for AGEs

July 3, 2022 gettingwell4 4-5 stars Advanced knowledge, Epigenetics, Immune system, Stress Control group, Genetic factors

Two 2022 human studies on sRAGE, starting with one of hypoxia-related diseases:

“The receptor for advanced glycation end products is found on endothelial and inflammatory cell surfaces. It binds to circulating advanced glycation end products, activating a proinflammatory protein cascade that contributes to systemic oxidative stress and inflammation.

sRAGE is the soluble isoform of RAGE and acts as a protective decoy by buffering inflammatory ligands, decreasing inflammatory injury. Therefore, low levels of sRAGE are a biomarker of deficient inflammatory control.

We show that plasma concentrations of the anti-inflammatory molecule sRAGE are reduced in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Overlap of COPD and OSA does not lead to an additive effect.

Effective treatment by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) of subjects with obstructive apnoeas (with or without associated COPD) increases the level of sRAGE, while in healthy subjects and COPD without OSA, these levels do not change over time. This is the first study to investigate the effect of CPAP on plasma levels of sRAGE.”

https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-022-02092-9 “Soluble RAGE in COPD, with or without coexisting obstructive sleep apnoea”

A second study introduced sRAGE isoforms:

“We explored associations of circulating levels of soluble RAGE, its endogenous secretory (esRAGE) and cleaved (cRAGE) isoforms, AGEs, and their respective ratios with 15-year all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes. The potential prognostic value of sRAGE as a marker of disease and occurrence of adverse events seems to be suitable for individuals with chronic disease or multimorbidity, and not for the general population.

Baseline AGEs and sRAGE isoforms concentration were measured by ELISA in 362 patients with type 2 diabetes and in 125 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. At an average follow-up of 15 years, 130 deaths [in T2D subjects] were observed.

A nomogram based on age, sex, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, and the AGEs/cRAGE ratio was built to predict 5-, 10- and 15-year survival in type 2 diabetes. Kaplan-Meier survival function for patients with type 2 diabetes grouped according to quartiles of the nomogram-based mortality risk score:

An increase in the AGEs/cRAGE ratio was accompanied by a higher risk of all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. The AGEs/cRAGE ratio led to a significant, albeit modest, improvement in the already established RECODe model of predicting 10-year all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes based on age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, systolic blood pressure, history of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), HbA1c, total cholesterol, HDL-C, serum creatinine, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio.

While none of the parameters was significantly associated with development of any complication in patients without complications at the time of enrollment, sRAGE was associated with the development of MACE over a 15-year follow-up in patients with type 2 diabetes who had no history of MACE at recruitment.”

https://cardiab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12933-022-01535-3 “Circulating levels of AGEs and soluble RAGE isoforms are associated with all-cause mortality and development of cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study”