Recent CAM-related publications from faculty and CAM MS students

Following the Script: How Drug Reps Make Griends and Influence Doctors

PLoS Medicine 4 (4):e150, 2007

Fugh-Berman, A. and S. Ahari

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Urinalysis in Western Culture: A brief history

Kidney Intl 71: 384-387, 2007.

Armstrong, J.A.

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Advertising in Medical Journals: Should Current Practices Change?

PLoS Medicine 3 (6):e130, 2006.

Fugh-Berman, A., K. Alladin, J. Chow.

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Vanilla as a Medicinal Plant

Seminars in Integrative Medicine 3:129-131, 2005

Bythrow, J.

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Pendular Diagnosis: From Dowsing to Diagnosic Methodology?

Seminars in Integrative Medicine 3 (2): 38-43, 2005

Chow, J.

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Medical Acupuncture: The Legal Environment as Practiced by the Physician.

Seminars in Integrative Medicine 3 (1): 24-30, 2005

Wirsing, DL, Cohn, S.

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Citrus aurantium, an ingredient of dietary supplements marketed for weight loss: current status of clinical and basic research.

Exp Biol Med Sep;229(8):698-704,2004

Fugh-Berman A, Myers A.

Abstract

Seville orange (Citrus aurantium) extracts are being marketed as a safe alternative to ephedra in herbal weight-loss products, but C. aurantium may also have the potential to cause adverse health effects. C. aurantium contains synephrine (oxedrine), which is structurally similar to epinephrine. Although no adverse events have been associated with ingestion of C. aurantium products thus far, synephrine increases blood pressure in humans and other species, and has the potential to increase cardiovascular events. Additionally, C. aurantium contains 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin and bergapten, both of which inhibit cytochrome P450-3A, and would be expected to increase serum levels of many drugs. There is little evidence that products containing C. aurantium are an effective aid to weight loss. Synephrine has lipolytic effects in human fat cells only at high doses, and octopamine does not have lipolytic effects in human adipocytes.

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Other recent papers

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Effects of dandelion leaf and root on kidney and GI function in adult rats.

FASEB J, 2005. (abstract)

Mulroney SE, Ornekian V, Mowla MS, Wirsing D, Saphyakhajon M, Myers AK, Fugh-Berman A.

While dandelion is traditionally used as a diuretic, there is little experimental evidence to support its wide-spread use.  This study determined the effects of dried dandelion leaf and root on the renal and GI handling of water and electrolytes. Metabolic studies were performed on adult male and female S-D rats fed normal chow supplemented with 0 (control), 0.05, 3 or 10 g/kg BW dried leaf or root for 3-10 days. There was no significant difference in urine volume between rats fed control diet and those fed any dose of leaf or root at any time point.  However, there were significant increases in fecal weight (wt) with all leaf and root diets. Wet/dry fecal ratios indicate an increase in fecal water, which did not appear to be due to an increase in fecal sodium.  Interestingly, the increase in fecal wt was greater (P<0.004) in the male (306±53% of control, 3g/kg BW diet), compared to female rats (93±32% of control) on the same diet.  In addition, while fecal wt was elevated in the male animals supplemented with root (176±32% of controls, P<0.03), it was significantly less than in the male leaf group (P<0.05). This study indicates that there is no diuretic response to dandelion leaf or root in adult rats. However, there appear to be significant effects on the GI tract that are more pronounced in the male. Further studies will determine if this effect is related to fiber content, or alterations in bile handling.

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Therapeutic Uses of Neurohumoral Mechanisms

In: Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Psychoneuroimmunology, Edited by M. S. Micozzi. Publ. Churchill Livingstone, USA. Third edition, in press, 2005.

A.D. Watkins, M.S. Micozzi, H. Amri

Multicentred, international survey of medical students’ attitudes towards ‘holism’: Validation of the Integrated Medicine Attitude Questionnaire and its relation to student characteristics

Academic Medicine, in press, 2005

Katja Schmidt, Charlotte Rees, Sheila Greenfield, Andy Wearn, Ian Dennis, Niv Patil, Hakima Amri, and Heather Boon

Other abstracts and papers-- Dr Hakima Amri

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Complementary and alternative medicine: Opportunities for education and research

Exper. Biol. and Med.  229:695-697, 2004

Haramati, A. and M.D. Lumpkin

Other papers-- Dr Aviad Haramati

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