PMID: 

J Gen Intern Med. 2017 Dec ;32(12):1315-1322. Epub 2017 Sep 7. PMID: 28884423

Abstract Title: 

Electronic Cigarette Use in US Adults at Risk for or with COPD: Analysis from Two Observational Cohorts.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-operated nicotine-delivery devices used by some smokers as a cessation tool as well as by never smokers.OBJECTIVE: To determine the usage of e-cigarettes in older adults at risk for or with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).DESIGN: Prospective cohorts.PARTICIPANTS: COPDGene (N = 3536) and SPIROMICS (N = 1060) subjects who were current or former smokers aged 45-80.MAIN MEASURES: Participants were surveyed to determine whether e-cigarette use was associated with longitudinal changes in COPD progression or smoking habits.KEY RESULTS: From 2010 to 2016, participants who had ever used e-cigarettes steadily increased to 12-16%, but from 2014 to 2016 current use was stable at ~5%. E-cigarette use in African-Americans (AA) and whites was similar; however, AA were 1.8-2.9 times as likely to use menthol-flavored e-cigarettes. Current e-cigarette and conventional cigarette users had higher nicotine dependence and consumed more nicotine than those who smoked only conventional cigarettes. E-cigarette users had a heavier conventional cigarette smoking history and worse respiratory health, were less likely to reduce or quit conventional cigarette smoking, had higher nicotine dependence, and were more likely to report chronic bronchitis and exacerbations. Ever e-cigarette users had more rapid decline in lung function, but this trend did not persist after adjustment for persistent conventional cigarette smoking.CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use, which is common in adults with or at risk for COPD, was associated with worse pulmonary-related health outcomes, but not with cessation of smoking conventional cigarettes. Although this was an observational study, we find no evidence supporting the use of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy among current smokers with or at risk for COPD.

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PMID: 

N Engl J Med. 2019 Sep 6. Epub 2019 Sep 6. PMID: 31491072

Abstract Title: 

Pulmonary Illness Related to E-Cigarette Use in Illinois and Wisconsin – Preliminary Report.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid and deliver an aerosolized product to the user. Pulmonary illnesses related to e-cigarette use have been reported, but no large series has been described. In July 2019, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Illinois Department of Public Health received reports of pulmonary disease associated with the use of e-cigarettes (also called vaping) and launched a coordinated public health investigation.METHODS: We defined case patients as persons who reported use of e-cigarette devices and related products in the 90 days before symptom onset and had pulmonary infiltrates on imaging and whose illnesses were not attributed to other causes. Medical record abstraction and case patient interviews were conducted with the use of standardized tools.RESULTS: There were 53 case patients, 83% of whom were male; the median age of the patients was 19 years. The majority of patients presented with respiratory symptoms (98%), gastrointestinal symptoms (81%), and constitutional symptoms (100%). All case patients had bilateral infiltrates on chest imaging (which was part of the case definition). A total of 94% of the patients were hospitalized, 32% underwent intubation and mechanical ventilation, and one death was reported. A total of 84% of the patients reported having used tetrahydrocannabinol products in e-cigarette devices, although a wide variety of products and devices was reported. Syndromic surveillance data from Illinois showed that the mean monthly rate of visits related to severe respiratory illness in June through August of 2019 was twice the rate that was observed in the same months in 2018.CONCLUSIONS: Case patients presented with similar clinical characteristics. Although the features of e-cigarette use that were responsible for injury have not been identified, this cluster of illnesses represents an emerging clinical syndrome or syndromes. Additional work is needed to characterize the pathophysiology and to identify the definitive causes.

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PMID: 

Cancer Manag Res. 2019 ;11:1541-1549. Epub 2019 Feb 14. PMID: 30863164

Abstract Title: 

Murr: a traditional Chinese medicine with potent anti-tumor effects.

Abstract: 

Murr also known as Huaier, one of the traditional Chinese medicines, has been shown an effective adjuvant of cancer therapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that the anti-cancer effects of Huaier can be briefly divided into two aspects: the direct effects on tumor cells and the indirect effects on immune cells. In vitro and in vivo experiment showed Huaier directly inhibited tumor cell proliferation, induced tumor cell death, prevented metastasis and interfered with angiogenesis via various signaling pathways. The immunomodulatory effect of Huaier is associated with enhancement of the number and function of CD4T cells and NK cells, regulation of the polarization and function of macrophages, and elevated secretion of immune stimulatory cytokines. In this review, the anti-cancer effects and combined treatments of Huaier with other anti-cancer therapies, and the underlying mechanisms are summarized and discussed.

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PMID: 

Int J Biol Sci. 2019 ;15(4):826-837. Epub 2019 Mar 1. PMID: 30906213

Abstract Title: 

Repression of Hexokinases II-Mediated Glycolysis Contributes to Piperlongumine-Induced Tumor Suppression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

Abstract: 

Deregulation of glycolysis is a common phenomenon in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, we reported the natural compound, piperlongumine, has a profound anti-tumor effect on NSCLC via regulation of glycolysis. Piperlongumine suppressed the proliferation, colony formation and HK2-mediated glycolysis in NSCLC cells. We demonstrated that exposure to piperlongumine disrupted the interaction between HK2 and VDAC1, induced the activation of the intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway. Moreover, our results revealed that piperlongumine down-regulated the Akt signaling, exogenous overexpression of constitutively activated Akt1 in HCC827 and H1975 cells significantly rescued piperlongumine-induced glycolysis suppression and apoptosis. The xenograft mouse model data demonstrated the pivotal role of suppression of Akt activation and HK2-mediated glycolysis in mediating theantitumor effects of piperlongumine. The expression of HK2 was higher in malignant NSCLC tissues than that of the paired adjacent tissues, and was positively correlated with poor survival time. Our results suggest that HK2 could be used as a potential predictor of survival and targeting HK2 appears to be a new approach for clinical NSCLC prevention or treatment.

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PMID: 

Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Jul ;94(29):e1194. PMID: 26200630

Abstract Title: 

Safety of Exposure From Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields During Prenatal Ultrasound Examinations in Clinicians and Pregnant Women.

Abstract: 

Investigations into the safety of ultrasonography in pregnancy have focused on the potential harm of ultrasound itself. However, no data have been published regarding the electromagnetic fields that ultrasound devices might produce. This study is the first to measure extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) exposure of clinicians and pregnant women during prenatal ultrasound examinations in the examination room from 2 different ultrasound devices and compare them with ELF-MFs during patient consultation in the consulting room.The ELF-MF intensities that clinicians and pregnant women were exposed to were measured every 10 seconds for 40 prenatal ultrasound examinations using Philips iU22 or Accuvix V20 Prestige machines and 20 patient consultations in a consulting room using portable ELF-MF measurement devices. The mean ELF-MF exposure of both clinicians and pregnant women was 0.18± 0.06 mG during prenatal ultrasound examination. During patient consultation, the mean ELF-MF exposures of clinicians and pregnant women were 0.10 ± 0.01 and 0.11 ± 0.01 mG, respectively. Mean ELF-MF exposures during prenatal ultrasound examination were significantly higher than those during patient consultations (P

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PMID: 

Int J Radiat Biol. 2016 ;92(4):202-14. Epub 2016 Feb 19. PMID: 26894944

Abstract Title: 

Life-span exposure to sinusoidal-50 Hz magnetic field and acute low-dose γ radiation induce carcinogenic effects in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Abstract: 

Background In 2002 the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELFMF) as a possible carcinogen on the basis of epidemiological evidence. Experimental bioassays on rats and mice performed up to now on ELFMF alone or in association with known carcinogens have failed to provide conclusive confirmation. Objectives To study the carcinogenic effects of combined exposure to sinusoidal-50 Hz (S-50 Hz) magnetic fields and acute γ radiation in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods We studied groups of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to 20 or 1000 μT S-50 Hz MF and also to 0.1 Gy γ radiation delivered as a single acute exposure at 6 weeks of age. Results The results of the study showed significant carcinogenic effects for the mammary gland in males and females and a significant increased incidence of malignant schwannomas of the heart as well as increased incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in males. Conclusions These results call for a re-evaluation of the safety of non-ionizing radiation.

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PMID: 

Int J Dev Neurosci. 2014 Oct ;37:58-64. Epub 2014 Jun 23. PMID: 24970316

Abstract Title: 

Autism-relevant social abnormalities in mice exposed perinatally to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields.

Abstract: 

The incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been rising, but the causes of ASD remain largely unidentified. Collective data have implicated the increased human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the increasing incidence of ASD. There are established biological effects of extremely low-frequency (ELF) EMF, but the relation to ASD is not investigated enough. In this study we examined the effects of perinatal exposure to ELF EMF on some ASD-relevant behavioral parameters in mice. The EMF was delivered via a Helmholtz coil pair. Male BALB/C mice were used and divided into exposed and control groups (n=8 and n=9, respectively). Tests were used to assess sociability, preference for social novelty, locomotion, anxiety, exploratory behavior, motor coordination, and olfaction. The examined mice were all males and exposed to EMF during the last week of gestation and for 7 days after delivery. The exposed mice demonstrated a lack of normal sociability and preference for social novelty while maintaining normal anxiety-like behavior, locomotion, motor coordination, and olfaction. Exposed mice also demonstrated decreased exploratory activity. We concluded that these results are supportive of the hypothesis of a causal link between exposure to ELF-EMF and ASD; however, replications of the study with further tests are recommended.

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PMID: 

Med Hypotheses. 2006 ;67(2):378-82. Epub 2006 Mar 10. PMID: 16530334

Abstract Title: 

Out of time: a possible link between mirror neurons, autism and electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: 

Recent evidence suggests a link between autism and the human mirror neuron system. In this paper, I argue that temporal disruption from the environment may play an important role in the observed mirror neuron dysfunction, leading in turn to the pattern of deficits associated with autism. I suggest that the developing nervous system of an infant may be particularly prone to temporal noise that can interfere with the initial calibration of brain networks such as the mirror neuron system. The most likely source of temporal noise in the environment is artificially generated electromagnetic radiation. To date, there has been little evidence that electromagnetic radiation poses a direct biological hazard. It is clear, however, that time-varying electromagnetic waves have the potential to temporally modulate the nervous system, particularly when populations of neurons are required to act together. This modulation may be completely harmless for the fully developed nervous system of an adult. For an infant, this same temporal disruption might act to severely delay or disrupt vital calibration processes.

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PMID: 

Med Hypotheses. 2004 ;62(2):195-7. PMID: 14962625

Abstract Title: 

A possible association between fetal/neonatal exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation and the increased incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Abstract: 

Recently disclosed epidemiological data indicate a dramatic increase in the incidence of autism spectrum disorders. Previously, the incidence of autism has been reported as 4-5 per 10000 children. The most recent evidence indicates an increased incidence of about 1 per 500 children. However, the etiology of autism is yet to be determined. The recently disclosed data suggest a possible correlation between autism incidence and a previously unconsidered environmental toxin. It is generally accepted in the scientific community that radiofrequency (RF) radiation is a biologically active substance. It is also readily acknowledged that human exposures to RF radiation have become pervasive during the past 20 years, whereas such exposures were uncommon prior to that time. It is suggested that fetal or neo-natal exposures to RF radiation may be associated with an increased incidence of autism.

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PMID: 

Sci Rep. 2015 Sep 18 ;5:14206. Epub 2015 Sep 18. PMID: 26381579

Abstract Title: 

Effect of exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields on melatonin levels in calves is seasonally dependent.

Abstract: 

The question of health effects of extremely low frequency (50/60 Hz) magnetic fields (ELFMF) has been widely discussed, but the mechanisms of interaction of these fields with biological systems for intensities relevant to human and animal exposure are still under question. The melatonin (MLT) hypothesis suggests that exposure to ELFMF might decrease MLT production thereby promoting cancerogenesis. So far, most studies of MLT secretion under exposure to ELFMF reported negative or inconsistent results. Here, we measured salivary MLT in 1-2 months old cattle calves exposed to 50 Hz-MF in the hundreds of nT-range. We found an inhibitory effect of the ELFMF upon MLT secretion in winter (in accordance with the MLT hypothesis). In contrast, in summer, MLT concentration was increased by ELFMF exposure (contrary to the MLT hypothesis). The inhibitory effect in winter was much stronger than the positive effect in summer. We hypothesize that this season-dependent effect upon MLT synthesis might by mediated by an effect of ELFMF upon the serotonin metabolism and conclude that future tests of ELFMF effects should also measure serotonin levels and consider association with the seasonal effects (photoperiod or temperature) during the exposure.