my comment is in reference to dr. feldman's statement, "In the body In
the body prostaglandins are responsible for activating the inflammatory
response that results in pain and fevers ......."

i wonder if he is also saying that the pain and fevers could be a S.E.
if a person is taking prostaglandin shots for ED?

~ curtis

=================

Double whammy of vitamin D and anti-inflammatory zaps prostrate cancer
cells

Tuesday, 6-Sep-2005  

Scientists from Stanford University say they have discovered that
vitamin D, known as the "sunshine vitamin,"can limit the growth of
prostate cancer cells when combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs.

If their work in animal models and human trials confirm the findings,
the drug combination may help to keep the NSAID family of drugs among
the pharmaceutical choices for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

This includes ibuprofen, indomethacin and naproxen, as well as other
so-called COX-2 inhibitors linked to increased risk for cardiovascular
disease, including Vioxx and Celebrex.

David Feldman, M.D., professor of Medicine in the Division of
Endocrinology, Gerontology and Metabolism at the Stanford University
School of Medicine, says as NSAIDs have their own risks, care must taken
even with lower doses and it would still be necessary to watch patients
very closely if it is intended to keep them on these drugs for extended
periods of time.

He says they are aiming to find doses that are less toxic and far more
tolerable for the patient.

In the body prostaglandins are responsible for activating the
inflammatory response that results in pain and fever, and NSAIDs work by
blocking an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 or COX-2 which is essential
for prostaglandin synthesis, thereby relieving some of the effects of
pain and fever.

In this study, activated vitamin D or calcitriol was shown to act as a
triple threat against this pathway, in prostate cancer cells by first
limiting the expression of a key enzyme needed to synthesize
prostaglandins into COX-2, and secondly, by increasing the expression of
an enzyme that rapidly disassembles active prostaglandin molecules, thus
promoting the breakdown of the hormone.

The scientists also discovered that calcitriol inhibited the production
of two cell receptors used by prostaglandins to regulate gene expression
and control tumor proliferation.

Even though the scientists were able to show that activated vitamin D,
calcitriol, worked by itself to limit prostate cancer growth, they saw
it was equally effective in much smaller doses when used in combination
with NSAIDs.

Furthermore, the calcitriol dramatically reduced the amount of NSAIDs
necessary to curb prostate cancer cell growth.
This discovery is particularly important now, in view of recent studies
showing that some NSAIDs that are selective for COX-2 targeting, such as
rofecoxib (Vioxx) and celecoxib (Celebrex), are linked to cardiovascular
disease at their prescribed doses.

While their studies provide insight into cellular activities controlled
by both calcitriol and the NSAIDs, before Feldman and his colleagues can
advocate the treatment for patients, they need to verify that vitamin D
and NSAIDs work in synergy not just in these cell lines, and also work
in the same manner, in humans.

Vitamin D is converted in the liver and kidney to the active form called
calcitriol, a hormone that has widespread actions in the body.

The Feldman laboratory used calcitriol in the experiments reported in
the Cancer Research article.

Vitamin D in the form available over the counter is useful for
protection of bones, but would not achieve the therapeutic levels of
calcitriol needed to inhibit cancer cell growth, since the body has
mechanisms to limit its activation to calcitriol, Feldman explained.

The study is published in the journal Cancer Research.
 

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc