TGF beta inhibitor-----PATENT APPLICATION......black tea (!)

[michael barry]

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20060045905.html

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a composition for repressing TGF-.beta., containing theanine as an active substance.

[0011] The inventors made every research to overcome the aforesaid problem and found that theanine which was amino acid contained in tea had an action of repressing TGF-.beta., completed the invention.

[0012] More specifically, the present invention is a composition for repressing TGF-.beta., containing theanine as an active substance.

[0013] Theanine used in the invention is a glutamic acid derivative contained in tea leaves and a principal component of deliciousness of tea. Theanine is used as a food additive for use as gustatory. Methods of producing theanine used in the invention include a method of extracting theanine from tea leaves, a method of obtaining theanine by organic synthesis reaction

Furthermore, this is just weird, but I'm going to quote it: "0007] Hitherto found substances repressing TGF-.beta. include high molecular protein such as anti-TGF-.beta. immune body (refer to Yamaguchi, Y., D. M. Mann, et al., "Negative regulation of transforming growth factor-beta by the proteoglycan decorin," Nature 346 (6281): 281-4, (1990); and JP-A-2001-206899), imide/amide ethel compound (refer to WO098/24763), phenylacetate and derivative thereof (refer to JP-A-2001-253821), and peptide (refer to WO2002/026935) comprising leucine, phenylalanine, .alpha.-aminoisobutyric acid, N-methylalanine and N-methylisoleucine.

[0008] However, anti-TGF-.beta. immune body and peptide comprising leucine, phenylalanine, .alpha.-aminoisobutyric acid, N-methylalanine and N-methylisoleucine are digested in digestive organs. Accordingly, the effects of these substances are not expected in oral administration and a manner of administration is limited to intravenous injection, for example. Furthermore, since imide/amide ether compound, phenylacetate and derivative thereof are compounds, these compounds have problems "


PHENYLALININE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????????????????? Thats in Diet Doctor Pepper, Diet Mountain Dew, as both contain phenylkletonurics (believe it or not, I can actually pronounce that word)



If the invention is right (a matter of dispute), and black tea really does inhibit DHT like that mouse study indicates that it does orally (I see no reason why the alpha five reductase enzymes in mice that finasteride has been tested on ad nauseaum would really be much different than ours------then perhaps some very strong topical black tea with an alcohol carrier or black tea extract with the same might be quite useful in hair----especially if mixed with some green tea or licorice tea.



Suggestions anyone?

 

[michael barry]

Thought I'd add this: A study suggesting that theaflavins (almost exclusively in black, not green tea) along with ECGC inhibit androgen receptor expression in prostate cancer cell lines

1Department of Urology, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, MN 55905, USA

2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, MN 55905, USA


Correspondence to: C YF Young, Department of Urology, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, MN 55905, USA


Abstract

Androgens via their cognate receptor may be involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to determine whether tea polyphenols have inhibitory effects on androgen action in an androgen-responsive, prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. The tea polyphenol, EGCG, inhibited LNCaP cell growth and the expression of androgen regulated PSA and hK2 genes. Moreover, EGCG had a significant inhibitory effect on the androgenic inducibility of the PSA promoter. Immunoblotting detected a decrease in androgen receptor protein with treatments of the tea polyphenols EGCG, GCG and theaflavins. Northern blot analysis showed decreased levels of androgen receptor mRNA by EGCG. Transient transfections demonstrated that EGCG and theaflavins could repress the transcriptional activities of the androgen receptor promoter region. An Sp1 binding site in the androgen receptor gene promoter is an important regulatory component for its expression. This study suggests Sp1 is the target for the tea polyphenols because treatments of EGCG decreased the expression, DNA binding activity and transactivation activity of Sp1 protein. In conclusion, we have described a new property of tea polyphenols that inhibits androgen action by repressing the transcription of the androgen receptor gene. Oncogene (2000) 19, 1924-1932

........................interesting

 

[abcdefg]

Would black tea say if you drank it do this? How much would you have to drink like 4 gallons a day?

 

[bcapop]

Typ this at pubmed: "black +tea +caspase", "black +tea +inflammation" and "black +tea +TGF".

Some quotes:

The results revealed that testosterone administration induced the oxidative stress in rat prostate, however, in 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% ATE supplemented groups, a significant protective effect of black tea against testosterone induced oxidative injury was recorded

Cigarette smoke exposure to a guinea pig model caused lung damage. It appeared that oxidative stress was the initial event, which was followed by inflammation, apoptosis and lung injury. All these pathophysiological events were prevented when the cigarette smoke-exposed guinea pigs were given black tea infusion as the drink instead of water.

As theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TFDG), the most potent anti-oxidant polyphenol of black tea, down-regulates NF-kappaB activation, we investigated if TFDG is beneficial in colonic inflammation by suppressing iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines. - TFDG exerts protective effects in experimental colitis and inhibits production of inflammatory mediators through a mechanism that, at least in part, involves inhibition of NF-kappaB activation.

Black tea extract showed significant inhibition against glucose oxidase-mediated inflammation.

Both black and green tea inhibited tumour growth and prevented metastasis. Histopathological study showed that tea treatment was able to reduce malignancy. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), a free radical scavenger, was found to be significantly increased in the serum of mice administered tea. Moreover, tea extracts were able to reduce the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in the sera of mice. Tea extracts (both black and green) also showed antiinflammatory activity in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema model in the rat

Interestingly, black tea at the antitumor dose of 2.5% significantly reduced TGF-beta and IL-10 in tumor cells in vivo, thereby preventing Th2 dominance in the tumor bearers and initiating a Th1/Tc1 response. Thus, apart from its anticancer activity, this popular beverage also rejuvenates cancer immunosurveillance by modulating cytokine profiles and establishing Th1/Tc1 dominance in the tumor-bearing host.

Thus, EGCG and other tea polyphenols may interact with various transcription factors, in addition to AP-1 and NF-kappa B, in nuclei of various cells, resulting in inhibition of TNF-alpha gene expression and TNF-alpha release.

Black tea sure looks good unk:. Maybe it's coming in my next topical if it doesn't inhibit beta-catenin and angiogenesis (don't know if this happens in hair cells, maybe only in cancer cells).

 

[harold]

Sounds interesting. Good find.
Just a note - they were talking about a peptide that inhibits TGF-Beta that contains phenylalanine. Not saying that phenylalanine itself inhibits TGF-Beta.
hh

 

[indie85]

So drink lots of tea then? Or does it have to be applied topically to have any effect?