Posted by JLxx on May 4, 2005, at 12:13:54
In reply to Re: Uridine- Where do I get it? » Larry Hoover, posted by Peter S. on April 10, 2005, at 22:13:03
I went in search of more info about uridine and found out a few interesting things and also have some questions.
It's of interest in counteracting toxicity in cancer treatments and also AIDS:
http://annonc.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/4/317
http://www.aidsmeds.com/Fusetalk/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=15506&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=
http://www.powerhealthreview.com/show.php?id=14
The link from the AIDS forum has info about a product called NucleomaxX. http://www.nucleomaxx.com/ which apparently does increase uridine: http://www.aegis.com/conferences/6thLipo/30.html
The science here is incomprehensible to me, but do I gather that there is some connection to magnesium and uridine? More or "enough" magnesium means more or enough uridine? http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/3/662
I wondered if there was some kind of precursor to uridine and am not sure of the science here either, but these articles discuss citicolene:
"Citicoline, a dietary supplement ingredient, is a precursor of phosphatidylcholine, a type of phospholipid that is a component of cell membranes. When the body absorbs Citicoline, it is broken down into uridine and choline. Citicoline reforms in the brain and is used as rawmaterial for phosphatidylcholine synthesis. It is believed that Citicoline stabilizes the membranes of neuronal cells through the metabolic pathway. and inhibits the formation of free fatty acids, substances exhibitingcytotoxicity. Citicoline is also converted to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.Research indicates Citicoline has a targeted action for increasing brainphospholipid synthesis. Citicoline is absorbed as a form of its hydrolyzedproducts, uridine and choline. Within the brain, neuronal cells convert uridine into cytidine, which reacts with choline to produce Citicoline.Citicoline then moves into the metabolic pathway of phosphatidylcholineproduction in the brain."
Citicholine is CDP choline:
"CDP choline is metabolized to yield the free nucleotide cytidine and choline. Scientific research demonstrates that CDP Choline consumption promotes brain metabolism by enhancing the synthesis of acetylcholine, restoring phospholipid content in the brain and regulation of neuronal membrane excitability and osmolarity (by its effect on the ATP-dependent sodium and potassium pumps)." http://www.raysahelian.com/cdp.html
Another article discussing choline and the research by Richard Wurtman and others,
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20031122/food.aspOn the bottom of this page about Wurtman he says,
http://web.mit.edu/bcs/people/wurtman.shtml"Over the years we have found that the rates at which brain cells produce a number of important compounds, for example the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine - normally depend on brain concentrations of their precursors (tryptophan, tyrosine, and choline). It now appears that the syntheses of phosphatidylcholine [PC] and the other major membrane phospholipids also depend on precursor availability. The main circulating precursor is cytidine (or, in humans, uridine), a compound that is not present in the final phospholipid product, but which, when phosphorylated to CTP, controls a key step in phosphatide synthesis (i.e., the combining of phosphocholine and CTP to form endogenous cytidyldiphosphocholine [CDP-choline]). When cultured neurons are stimulated to produce neurites, for example by exposing them to Nerve Growth Factor, another precursor- diacylglycerol-can also become limiting in phosphatide synthesis.
These observations have led to a new strategy for developing drugs to treat strokes and brain injury, i.e., diminish the ultimate size of the damaged area (which usually expands during the initial week after the stroke, because of the release of toxic compounds, like arachidonic acid oxidation products from nearly dying cells), and facilitate the regrowth of damaged axons and synapses by surviving neurons, by promoting the synthesis of PC (which sopps up free arachidonic acid). Both effects can be obtained experimentally, by giving a drug, Citicoline, that breaks down to blood choline and cytidine (uridine in humans), or by giving a constituent of infant formulas, UMP, that raises blood uridine levels. The blood changes increase CTP and phosphocholine levels in the brain, promoting the incorporation of excess free arachidonic acid into PC and thus increasing neuronal membranes."
Note those last few sentences. Raising blood uridine levels by using infant formula?
Sure enough, check out the UMP in these formulas:
http://www.abbott.com.sg/family/popups/popup-similac.htm
http://www.brightbeginnings.com/professionals/pro_nucleotides.asp
And this article
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/living/10989579.htm on helping depressed kids without drugs, also mentions baby food"Though the natural substance uridine is still hard to come by_it's found in breast milk and enriched baby food_Harvard researchers have found that when uridine is combined with omega-3 fatty acids, it can prevent signs of depression just as well as antidepressants."
I didn't really look for UMP in baby food, but it didn't come right up in a Google search suggesting it's not that common.
I'm left with a few questions: Does taking CDP-choline equal taking uridine? What kinds of depressive variations might it be contraindicated for?
Uridine is listed directly on this wholesale supplier's site, so why does it have to be made into a drug? http://www.aminoactives.com/available.cfm
If it can be synthetized into baby formula, again why are their "drug" trials about it?
Would it be worth a try to guzzle baby formula combined with fish oil to try to duplicate the test results?? Sounds harmless enough at least. :) How much would it take? Or would CDP-choline be a better trial? Or have I misunderstood much of this?
JL
> Thanks Larry,
>
> When I hear about this kind of thing my mind takes huge ridiculous leaps like "maybe this is the natural stuff that will be 'the answer' and make Prozac et al obsolete!" The pharmaceutical indudstry sure wouldn't like that. Of course then I wake up...
>
>
>
> > > There has been a big buzz lately about 1 study that found uridine combined with Omega 3s effective for depression:
> > > http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20050325-000002.html
> > >
> > > The study even showed that uridine by itself caused an immediate anti-depressant effect! I want to know where I can get some of this stuff or how many sugar beets or other foods I have to eat. It sounds like there have been no other studies so I guess the results need to be taken with a grain of salt. I've tried fish oil for long periods but have never noticed any mood enhancement.
> > >
> > > Any feedback or ideas?
> > >
> > > Peter
> >
> > Uridine is one component of RNA. I don't have a clue how effective they might be, but I have seen RNA supplements. You'd be getting a fraction of that mixture in the form of uridine.
> >
> > Given my experience watching the supplement industry, you can expect uridine supplements to hit the shelves within a couple of months.
> >
> > I could get uridine from a chemical supply house, for example. It's pretty expensive. And, with the new demand for it that might soon exist, you can bet it's going to take a while for the supply to increase to match the demand.
> >
> > Expect high prices, and poor availability, especially if the darn stuff works.
> >
> > Lar
> >
> >
>
>
poster:JLxx
thread:481903
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050414/msgs/493638.html