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Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chris on February 13, 2009, 02:39:36 PM

Title: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: Chris on February 13, 2009, 02:39:36 PM
Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16564-chemical-drink-breathes-life-into-damaged-hearts.html)
After drinking a chemical dissolved in water, mice with damaged hearts turn from couch potatoes into treadmill tearaways, researchers say. The finding raises hopes that the same substance can invigorate patients weakened from heart attacks by increasing the supply of oxygen to damaged cardiac muscle.

Designed to make haemoglobin release more of its oxygen than normal, the drug, myo-inositol trispyrophosphate (ITPP) boosted exercise levels in the ailing mice by 35% when given dissolved in water. When given by injection into the abdomen, exercise levels rose a massive 60%.

"ITPP doesn't deliver oxygen itself, but makes haemoglobin able to release a larger amount of oxygen to tissues," explains Jean-Marie Lehn of the University of Strasbourg in France.

Normally, he says, haemoglobin releases only 25% of its oxygen cargo during one circuit of the body. But when ITPP binds to haemoglobin, it releases 35% more than usual, boosting supplies of oxygen to tissues without people having to inhale any extra air.

(more...) (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16564-chemical-drink-breathes-life-into-damaged-hearts.html)
Title: Re: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: rich_t on February 13, 2009, 03:40:48 PM
That sounds promising.
Title: Re: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: Chris_ on February 13, 2009, 03:45:53 PM
It sounds like a new marketing campaign for Amphetamines.
Title: Re: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: Chris on February 13, 2009, 05:30:20 PM
I can see a market for over the counter anti-altitude-sickness pills.
Title: Re: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: JohnnyReb on February 13, 2009, 06:14:27 PM
I can see a market for over the counter anti-altitude-sickness pills.

I can see a market for get-off-your-lazy-ass pills for DUmmies......if force fed.
Title: Re: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: thundley4 on February 13, 2009, 06:53:55 PM
I wonder if it would help with PAD?
Title: Re: Chemical drink breathes life into damaged hearts
Post by: docstew on February 13, 2009, 07:28:18 PM
great, another drug that we'll have to be tested for... OTOH, it would be promising for a PT test

ETA:  I bet it would be prescribed to be taken in combat zones...