Grapefruit research blocks what hep needs to grow

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February 18, 2008
How Grapefruit Reduces the Spread of HCV
Massachusetts researchers have found that a compound in grapefruit blocks the Hepatitis C virus from infecting additional cells. Since the Hepatitis C virus depends on cholesterol metabolism to proliferate, future trials may prove that lipid-lowering drugs or supplements, such as that found in grapefruit, may inhibit the virus.

Grapefruit compound may help fight hepatitis C infection

www.tamilstar.com

Feb 14, 2008, 05:21

A compound naturally occurring in grapefruit and other citrus fruits may help get rid of hepatitis C virus, according to a study published in an upcoming issue of the journal Hematology.

The study led by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine showed naringerin, a flavonoid found in grapefruit, blocks the secretion of hepatitis C virus from infected cells.

Hepatitis C virus needs to latch onto a very low-density lipoprotein (vLDL, a so-called bad cholesterol) to pass on the infection to other cells in the liver.

The effect was observed in cultured cell lines.

“These results suggest that lipid-lowering drugs, as well as supplements, such as naringenin, may be combined with traditional antiviral therapies to reduce or even eliminate HCV from infected patients,” said Yaakov Nahmias, PhD, of the MGH-CEM, the paper’s lead author.

“Identifying the route by which HCV is released from cells introduces a new therapeutic target,” said Martin Yarmush, MD, PhD, director of the MGH-CEM and the paper’s senior author.

“That pathway’s dependence on cholesterol metabolism could allow us to interfere with viral propagation to other cells and tissues, using tools already developed for atherosclerosis treatment.”

Early studies showed hepatitis C virus needs vLDL to maintain its infection and naringenin can reduce secretion of vLDL from liver cells. The current study was meant to examine whether the compound might also lower HCV secretion from infected cells.

Hepatitis C virus is the leading cause of chronic viral liver disease in the United States that infects about 3 percent of the world population.

Eighty percent of person with hepatitis C have no signs or symptoms but common symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, dark urine, abdominal pan, loss of appetite and nausea. Often it transmits from one person to another through contact of blood.

The current antiviral medications can treat 50 percent of cases, but 70 percent are expected to develop chronic infection, leading to cirrhosis or liver cancer in the end.

The researcher said naringerin or other lipid-lowering drugs could be used with other antiviral medications to treat hepatitis C infection if the effect is confirmed in human trials.

Posted by Editors at February ,HUGS DAN

DANNY!!!

I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED HERE FIRST! I DIDNT KNOW YOU ALREADY HAD THIS INFO HERE! DANG, HOW CAN I DELETE MY POST? WE DONT NEED IT ON HERE TWICE! I’M SORRY!

LOU

Way cool Danny!

READ LOUIE 'S 007 ON GRAPE FRUIT ALSO FOR POSSIBLE DRUG INTERACTIONS ,YOU CAN ALSO BUY NARINGIN ,WICH IS THE ACTIVE COMPONENT THAT DOES THE TRICK AND I DONT KNOW IF THAT SETS OFF DRUG INTERREACTIONS ,I DONT HAV THAT PROBLEM I DONT DO ANY DRUGS MYSELF BUT KNOW ALOT OF YOU DO ,THANKS LOU

I was wondering the same thing, DO I EAT THE GRAPEFRUIT or are there PILLS THAT YOU TAKE???
i have a whole bag of grapefruit so I’m starting by eating.

PLEASE NOTE: I talked to my Pharmacist about any of my meds that wouldn’t work well if I ate loads of Grapefruit. The only one I was taking that it would interfere with was Allegra Allergy Meds. But I wasn’t taking it anyway ~ MY Doctor told me we had to limit the number of things we were medicating and my Liver took precedent over allergies, so he had ask me to stop a few things while we dealt with the major issue.

Dano,

I re-read your info, do I hafta eat the grapefruit itself or are the pills?

Kit-Cat

SWANSONVITAMIN.COM ----IS THE PLACE I FOUND THEM SO FAR ,DO SEARCHES SEE WHAT YOU COM UP WITH ,LOOK FOR’’ NARINGIN’’’’ ALSO NOT SURE AND GOING TO CALL ON GRAPEFRUIT PECTIN TO SEE IF THAT HAS IT IN IT POSSIBLY,HUGS DAN -----------IF GRAPEFRUIT ALOT OF THE TIME WOULD INCREASE THE AMOUNTS OF CERTAIN DRUGS IN YOUR SYSTEM ,ITS ASHAME THEY DONT DO REASEARCH ON HOW MUCH DOES WHAT ON INCREASE ,IT WOULD BE A NICE WAY OF LOWERING DOSEAGES OF HARMFUL DRUGS AND ADDING A BENAFICIAL BIOFLAVORNOID ,THEN AGAIN DRUG COMPANYS WANT TO KEEP YOU ON AS MUCH DRUGS AS THEY CAN FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN ,JUST WAIT AND SEE THE DRUG COMPANYS WILL BE ALL OVER THIS IF IT WORKS REALLY GOOD ON ITS OWN ,WHAT THEY CAN’T PATENT TO MAKE MONEY WITH THEY SQWASH ,DISCREDIT ,SICK THE FDA ON IT ,FINANCE STUDYS THAT ARE DO INCORRECTLY TO DISCREDIT