[Entrez medline Query] 18 citations found Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [134 medline neighbors] Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1981 Oct;78(10):6513-6516 Amygdalin (Laetrile) and prunasin beta-glucosidases: distribution in germ-free rat and in human tumor tissue. Newmark J, Brady RO, Grimley PM, Gal AE, Waller SG, Thistlethwaite JR Amygdalin, the gentiobioside derivative of mandelonitrile commonly referred to as Laetrile, is presently under intensive investigation as a potential cancer chemotherapeutic agent. Because of this interest, we investigated the activity of beta-glucosidases that cleave glucose from amygdalin and from prunasin (mandelonitrile monoglucoside) in tissues from germ-free rats and in normal and neoplastic human tissues. Rat and human small intestinal mucosa contain high levels of activity of glucosidases that act on both of these cyanogenic glucosides. Release of glucose from these compounds was not detected in any of the human neoplastic tissues examined in the present study. These observations are consistent with reports of cyanide toxicity through the oral use of amygdalin or prunasin and pose serious questions concerning the alleged tumoricidal effect of amygdalin. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [177 medline neighbors] West J Med 1981 Sep;135(3):252-256 Nutrition cultism. Herbert V --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [200 medline neighbors] JAMA 1981 Aug 14;246(7):714-715 Easy 'cures' for cancer still find support. Page H --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [200 medline neighbors] J Miss State Med Assoc 1981 Aug;22(8):202-207 The new quack -- pseudoscience, public relations and politics. Arseneau JC, Thigpen JT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [200 medline neighbors] Science 1981 May 15;212(4496):758-759 Laetrile brush fire is out, scientists hope. Sun M --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [94 medline neighbors] Ann Intern Med 1981 Apr;94(4 Pt 1):530-533 Laetrile: a survey of judicial and administrative activity. Rosen GM, Shorr RI The judicial and executive branches of the federal government, motivated by emotionalism, political pressure, and a self-appointed need to placate the National Cancer Institute, have reached a decision on laetrile that weakens the legal protection of the general public. Recent approval of clinical trials of laetrile by the Food and Drug Administration was not consistent with policies adopted earlier, nor was it warranted by federal court decisions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [134 medline neighbors] J Toxicol Environ Health 1981 Mar;7(3-4):457-467 Amygdalin metabolism and effect on reproduction of rats fed apricot kernels. Miller KW, Anderson JL, Stoewsand GS Diets containing 10% ground apricot kernels were fed to young and breeding male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The kernels werE obtained from 35 specific apricot cultivars and divided into groups containing low amygdalin (less than 50 mg cyanide per 100 g), moderate amygdalin (100-200 mg cyanide per 100 g), or high amygdalin (more than 200 mg cyanide per 100 g). Growth of young male rats was greatest in the low- or moderate-amygdalin group which may indicate only that they were more sensitive to the bitter taste of the kernels with high amygdalin contents. In female rats, but not males, liver rhodanese activity and thiocyanate (SCN) blood levels were increased with the high-amygdalin diet, but both male and females efficiently excreted thiocyanate, indicating efficient detoxication and clearance of cyanide hydrolyzed from the dietary amygdalin. No changes in blood chemistry were observed. Although parturition and 3-d survival indices were poor in pups from dams fed a basal semisynthetic diet, offspring of breeding rats fed the high-amygdalin diet for 18 wk had lower 3-d survival indices, lactation indices, and weaning weights than those in the low-amygdalin group. This may indicate that the cyanide present in the milk may not be efficiently detoxified to SCN and excreted by neonates. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [154 medline neighbors] Clin Toxicol 1981 Mar;18(3):367-383 Cyanide poisoning. Vogel SN, Sultan TR, Ten Eyck RP In recent years, the increasing use of laetrile has been added to the traditional sources of exposure to cyanide in industry, chemistry labs, and fumigation. The events in Jonestown in 1978 were a grim reminder of the lethality of cyanide. Nonetheless, advancement in new modes of treatment has been slow. The traditional method of treatment used in the United States is effective, but not without its own morbidity and mortality. Using two case reports as models, we review here the topic of cyanide poisoning including sources of exposure, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations of both acute and chronic exposure, and modes of treatment. Although there is currently no accepted alternate treatment in this country, review of the literature shows promise in other modalities being investigated in Europe, including hydroxocobalamin, cobalt salts, and particularly aminophenols. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [46 medline neighbors] JAMA 1981 Feb 13;245(6):591-594 A pharmacologic and toxicological study of amygdalin. Moertel CG, Ames MM, Kovach JS, Moyer TP, Rubin JR, Tinker JH Six patients with advanced cancer were treated with amygdalin (laetrile) at dosages similar to those employed by laetrile practitioners. Amygdalin given intravenously at 4.5 g/sq m/day was largely excreted unchanged in the urine and produced no clinical or laboratory evidence of toxic reaction. Amygdalin given orally at 0.5 g three times daily produced significant blood cyanide levels to 2.1 microgram/mL. No clinical or laboratory evidence of toxic reaction was seen in the six patients taking oral amygdalin at this dosage. One patient, however, challenged with a large intake of raw almonds, had transient symptoms of cyanide toxic reaction with escalating blood cyanide levels. This small study indicates that amygdalin in the doses employed produces few clinical side effects. A definite hazard of cyanide toxic reaction must be assumed, however, and possible long-term side effects remain unknown. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [143 medline neighbors] West J Med 1981 Feb;134(2):97-103 Amygdalin toxicity studies in rats predict chronic cyanide poisoning in humans. Newton GW, Schmidt ES, Lewis JP, Conn E, Lawrence R --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [157 medline neighbors] Microbiol Immunol 1981;25(12):1221-1228 A Halophilic vibrio isolated from a case of chronic cholecystitis. Konishi K, Yamagishi T, Sakamoto K We found a halophilic vibrio in B bile from a 75-year-old female patient with chronic cholecystitis, and examined its biochemical characteristics. The organisms are gram-negative short rods or comma shaped, with some ring forms. They have a single polar flagellum, but not capsule. The strains can grow in peptone water with 1.0 to 4.0% NaC1, but not with no NaC1 or 6.0% NaC1. The characteristics of the organisms are positive dextrose fermentation, catalase, oxidase, and ornithine decarboxylase, and negative lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydrolase, and absence of gas from glucose. They are sensitive to 2,4-diamine-6,7-diisopropyl pteridine (0/129). These characteristics indicate that the isolated strain should be a halophilic vibrio. however, no growth on Salmonella-Shigella (SS), SS with added sucrose and bromcresol purple (SS-SB), MacConkey's or thiosulfate citrate bile salts (TCBS) agar plates was demonstrated. Nitrate reduction, Simmons' citrate agar, indole, omicron-nitrophenol-beta-d-galactopyranoside (ONPG), motility and esculin hydrolysis were positive. Urease, gelatinase, Voges-Proskauer, phenylalanine deaminase and malonate reactions were negative. Acid was produced from amygdalin, arabinose, cellobiose, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, salicin, starch, sucrose, trehalose, and xylose, but not from adonitol, dulcitol, inositol, mannose, melibiose, raffinose, rhamnose and sorbitol. From these characteristics the isolate is considered to be not identical with V. parahaemolyticus, V. Cholerae, V. Vulnificus or other vibrios. It can be presumed that this isolate represents another species of halophilic vibrio. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [176 medline neighbors] Am J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 1981;3(4):339-345 Knowledge and use of "alternative" cancer therapies in children. Pendergrass TW, Davis S Because of the increased interest in laetrile and other "alternative" cancer therapies among cancer patients and the lack of data concerning knowledge and use of such treatments in childhood cancer, parents of children diagnosed with cancer in 1977 and 1978 at a major pediatric oncology center were surveyed. Eight different "alternative" therapies or groups were known by 50% of parents. Seventeen of 106 children had received an "alternative" cancer treatment. News media were the most frequent initial information source. Accuracy of knowledge of toxic effects of laetrile was poor, with only 26.4% realizing poisoning was possible. Parents who felt desperation in their search for a cure and were looking for an easier treatment method, and those who were dissatisfied with their role in making treatment decisions, appeared at greatest risk of seeking "alternative" therapies. Over 56% of parents wanted more information about cancer and its treatment, with written information favored by almost 40%. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [164 medline neighbors] Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 1981;6(1):51-57 Pharmacology of amygdalin (laetrile) in cancer patients. Ames MM, Moyer TP, Kovach JS, Moertel CG, Rubin J Plasma and urine concentrations of amygdalin, whole-blood concentrations of cyanide, and thiocyanate concentrations in serum and urine were determined in cancer patients following intravenous (4.5 g/m2) and oral (500-mg tablet) administration of amygdalin. To measure low plasma concentrations of amygdalin following oral administration a GC/MS assay was developed. Following intravenous administration, concentrations of parent drug as high as 1,401 microgram/ml were observed, with no increase in plasma concentrations of cyanide or serum concentrations of thiocyanate. Plasma elimination of amygdalin was best described by a two-compartment open model with a mean distributive phase half-life of 6.2 min, mean elimination phase half-life of 120.3 min, and mean clearance of 99.3 ml/min. Following oral administration of amygdalin, plasma concentrations were much lower, with peak values of less than 525 ng/ml. Cyanide concentrations increased to values as high as 2.1 microgram/ml whole blood. Thiocyanate concentrations did not increase for several days, plateauing at values as high as 38 microgram/ml serum. Ingestion of almonds by two patients taking oral amygdalin increased cyanide concentrations compared with values obtained after oral amygdalin alone. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [185 medline neighbors] Clin Bull 1981;11(3):99-101 Lessons of the laetrile study. Young CW --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [132 medline neighbors] Wis Med J 1980 Dec;79(12):10 Laetrile "triumph". [EDITORIAL] Falks VS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [200 medline neighbors] Med Times 1980 Dec;108(12):46-47 National Cancer Institute 1980 studies of Laetrile. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [199 medline neighbors] Med Times 1980 Dec;108(12):36-45 Laetrile--its current status. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Formats: [Citation Format] [MEDLINE Format] Links: [140 medline neighbors] Vet Hum Toxicol 1980 Dec;22(6):400-402 Cyanide concentrations in blood after amygdalin (laetrile) administration in rats. McAnalley BH, Gardiner TH, Garriott JC Toxic amounts of cyanide are released into the blood of rats following the oral administration of amygdalin (laetrile); cyanide blood concentrations and toxicity are markedly less when amygdalin is given intravenously. Analysis of the time course of cyanogenesis suggests that cyanide could accumulate in blood after repeated oral doses of amygdalin. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- the above reports in format. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------