Lymphatic System Facts

Drug boosts snakebite survival time by half: study

PARIS — Rubbing snakebites with an ointment that slows the functioning of lymph glands could boost survival times by 50 percent, according to a study released Sunday.

In experiments on humans and mice, researchers in Australia showed that a class of compounds called nitric oxide donors delays the entry of toxins from potentially deadly snakebites into the blood stream.

Nitric oxide (NO), a molecule involved in regulation of blood pressure and the control of brain activity, has been shown to lower blood pressure in patients who suffer acute strokes.

The new finding is of more than academic interest: every year some 100,000 people worldwide die from snakebites, and another 400,000 must amputate limbs that have been injected with poison.

It has long been known that many snake venoms contain large molecules that transit the human body's lymphatic system before entering the bloodstream.

Separately, scientists have also established that nitric oxide slows down a pumping mechanism within the lymphatic system, a part of the body's immune system that carries a clear fluid -- called lymph -- toward the heart.

Dirk van Helden, a researcher at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, put these two facts together to suggest a possible treatment for snakebites.

"We hypothesised that a nitric oxide-releasing agent applied topically would slow lymphatic transit time and entry of the venom into the circulation, delaying onset of toxicity," he and his colleagues wrote in the study.

To test their theory, the researchers injected a venom-like substance into one foot of 15 volunteers, and measured the time it took for the toxin substitute to reach lymph nodes in the groin.

The experiment was later repeated, except this time the drug-laced ointment was spread around the puncture within one minute of the injection.

Result: the transit time dropped from an average of 13 minutes to 54 minutes, four times slower.

Further experiments using real toxins in rats yielded roughly the same results.

Finally, the researchers compared the survival time in rats injected with venom that were treated with the ointment against those that were not, and found that the nitric oxide rats kept breathing 50 percent longer.

"These results point to a new method of snakebite first aid that may also be useful for bites to the torso or head," the researchers concluded.

Currently, the most common treatment is to immobilise the patient and restrict blood flow as much as possible until medical assistance is available.

Basic Facts about Cancer | Asbestosis Symptoms

Cancer is a disease in which the body cells grow uncontrollably because their normal regulatory mechanisms have been damaged. There are literally hundreds of different types and subtypes of cancer however the majority form solid tumours in specific areas of the body. The most common cancers are skin cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer. Unfortunately the disease is very proficient at spreading through the blood and the lymphatic system and so in advanced cancer cases it is not uncommon to see secondary tumours in far off areas of the body.

The Genetics of Cancer

One of the most important breakthroughs in cancer research came in the late 1970s when scientists discovered that all types of cancer begin with the genetic material within normal body cells becoming damaged. Every cell contains genetic information in the form of more than 90,000 pairs of genes which work together to control the activities of the cell. A cell can become cancerous when specific genes, such as those that control division, become damaged beyond repair. How and why genes become damaged is still a hot topic for research however it would seem that faulty genes are either inherited or they are caused by carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), for example sunlight and cigarette smoke.

Our body cells are continually exposed to carcinogens however in the majority of cases cancer doesn’t develop. There are a number of reasons why this is so, for example:

· Cells can normally repair their own damaged genes so that they continue to function properly. · More than one gene has to be damaged in order for cancer to develop. · The body’s immune system can normally kill any cancer cells before they get the chance to multiply and form a tumour.

The Causes of Cancer

Although most cancers appear to be caused by several factors, including genetic/inherited ones, a main environmental cause can often be identified for a particular cancer i.e. smoking cigarettes is commonly associated with lung cancer.

Approximately 35% of stomach cancer and prostate cancer cases are related to diets of unhealthy foods with little or no fresh fruit and vegetables. 30% of lung, breast, colon, cervical and throat cancers are related to tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars. 10% of skin cancer cases are related to the sun and UV rays. 7% of lymphoma, leukaemia, bone cancer and liver cancer cases are related to viruses such as Epstein Barr, HIV, Hepatitis C etc. Pesticides and chemicals, or occupational factors figure into 4% or mouth, throat, stomach and lymphoma cancer cases. Approx 3% of stomach, colon and liver cancer have been linked to excessive consumption of alchohol.

Veterinary anatomy and physiology, a workbook for students

The Facts on File Illustrated Guide to the Human Body

Dilucidatio valvularum in vasis lymphaticis et lacteis, 1665, Facsim. of the 1st ed

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