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    Shark Liver Oil

    While most studies indicated a benefit, at least one paper indicated shark liver oil may cause cancer.

  1. 9/11/01 TITLE: [Studies on the genotoxic effects of crude liver oils from 3 species of Mediterranean sharks by means of in vitro micronucleus test using human lymphocytes] SOURCE: Ann Biol Clin (Paris); 58(5):595-600 2000 UI: 20477789 AUTHOR: Bartfai E, Orsiere T, Duffaud F, Villani P, Pompili J, Botta A Lymphoid system tumours have been identified in two subjects who used to handle for several years mediterranean shark liver oil and squalen extracted from this oil. Moreover, scientific data, reported in 1959 by Kroning, show the induction of lymphoid tumours in C57 B1 mice after exposure of their skin to squalen. These observations rose the question of a possible mutagenic power of shark liver oil. The results of this experimental study show that the crude liver oils of three species of sharks are genotoxic and confirm a high carcinogenic risk.

  2. 9/11/01 Shark Liver Oil LEF article

  3. 9/11/01 TITLE: The Effects of Alkylglycerols on Cellular Growth and Sensitivity to Chemotherapeutic Agents in Tumor Cultures (Meeting abstract). SOURCE: Proc Annu Meet Am Soc Clin Oncol; 18:A2428 1999 UI: 99702418 AUTHOR: Frishein R, Brohult J, Rothstein-Rubin R Alkylglycerols occur in mammals mainly in bone marrow, breast milk and liver. Alkylglycerols have been used for treatment of patients with irradiation-induced leukopenia and for treatment of patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The cancer patients treated with alkylglycerols had a significantly higher five-year survival than the control group In animal experiments it has been shown that the methoxysubstituted alkylethers stimulate the immune system and inhibit growth of malignant neoplastic cells. In this study we have used malignant human tumor (e.g. Breast cancer tissue) cultures which were then treated with cytostatic agents, alkylglycerols or both. Treatment with cytostatics alone did not show any marked effects. But treatment with both cytostatics and alkylglycerols showed significant killing of malignant cells in eight out of nine patients.

  4. 9/11/01 TITLE: Differentiation-promoting effect of 1-O (2 methoxy) hexadecyl glycerol in human colon cancer cells. SOURCE: J Cell Physiol; 178(2):173-8 1999 UI: 99156368 AUTHOR: Wang H, Rajagopal S, Reynolds S, Cederberg H, Chakrabarty S Alkylglycerols are naturally occurring bioactive ether lipids found in great abundance in the livers of many marine species. In this study, we evaluated the differentiation-promoting potential of a methoxy substituted alkylglycerol--1-O (2 methoxy) hexadecyl glycerol (MHG)--to promote a more benign or differentiated phenotype in human colon cancer cells Treatment of these cell lines with MHG resulted in a downmodulation of cellular proliferation, a reduced propensity for anchorage-independent growth, and a reduced capacity in cellular invasion. Induction of the colon-associated and differentiation-related molecule carcinoembryonic antigen was also observed in the three cell lines. Induction of the transformation-sensitive and differentiation-related glycoprotein fibronectin was observed in the HT29 cells. It is concluded that MHG was biologically active and promoted a more benign or differentiated phenotype in these colon cancer cells. Since differentiation-inducing agents may possess chemoprevention properties, the use of MHG and the alkylglycerols in inducing differentiation or in chemoprevention of malignant diseases warrants further investigation.

  5. 9/11/01 TITLE: Some biological actions of alkylglycerols from shark liver oil. AUTHOR: Pugliese PT, Jordan K, Cederberg H, Brohult J SOURCE: J Altern Complement Med; 4(1):87-99 1998 UI: 98214456 Shark liver oil has been used for over 40 years as both a therapeutic and preventive agent. The active ingredients in shark liver oil have been found to be a group of ether-linked glycerols known as alkylglycerols. Initial clinical use was for treating leukemias, and later to prevent radiation sickness from cancer x-ray therapy Recent studies indicate that the activation of protein kinase C, an essential step in cell proliferation, can be inhibited by alkylglycerols. This action suggests a competitive inhibition of 1.2-diacylglycerol by alkylglycerols. Further studies on the immunostimulatory action of alkylglycerols suggest a primary action on the macrophage. The process of macrophage activation has been demonstrated with both synthetic and natural alkylglycerols. While the exact mechanism has not been found, both an autocrine and paracrine system have been suggested. Shark liver is a major natural source of alkylglycerols, which have no known side effects in dosages of 100 mg three times a day. The information presented in this article suggests that alkylglycerols may be used both as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of neoplastic disorders and as an immune booster in infectious diseases.

  6. 9/11/01 TITLE: Modulation of platelet-activating-factor production by incorporation of naturally occurring 1-O-alkylglycerols in phospholipids of human leukemic monocyte-like THP-1 cells AUTHOR: Hichami A, Duroudier V, Leblais V, Vernhet L, Le Goffic F, Ninio E, Legrand A SOURCE: Eur J Biochem; 250(2):242-8 1997 UI: 98088946 1-O-Alkylglycerols (alkyl-Gro), naturally occurring compounds abundant in shark liver oil, protect patients from radiotherapy side-effects. However, the protection mechanism is not well understood. It might be mediated by alkyl-Gro incorporation into pools of platelet-activating factor (PAF) precursor and subsequent modification of PAF biosynthesis

  7. 9/11/01 TITLE: Transient and controllable opening of the blood-brain barrier to cytostatic and antibiotic agents by alkylglycerols in rats. AUTHOR: Erdlenbruch B, Jendrossek V, Eibl H, Lakomek M SOURCE: Exp Brain Res; 135(3):417-22 2000 UI: 21023540 The blood-brain barrier hinders progress in the chemotherapy of brain tumors due to insufficient penetration of anticancer drugs into the brain tissue. Short-chain alkylglycerols affect the physicochemical properties of biological membranes. The enhancement of the blood-brain barrier permeability by intra-arterial administration of alkylglycerols was investigated in tumor-free and C6 astroglioma bearing rats

  8. 9/11/01 TITLE: Inhibitory effect of shark liver oil on cutaneous angiogenesis induced in Balb/c mice by syngeneic sarcoma L-1, human urinary bladder and human kidney tumour cells AUTHOR: Skopinska-Rozewska E, Krotkiewski M, Sommer E, Rogala E, Filewska M, Bialas-Chromiec B, Pastewka K, Skurzak H SOURCE: Oncol Rep; 6(6):1341-4 1999 UI: 99455154 The effect of shark liver oil on cutaneous angiogenesis induced in mice by intradermal grafting of tumour cells was evaluated. It was shown that this substance (Ecomer) suppressed neovascular response in mice grafted with sarcoma L-1 syngeneic cells, human kidney cancer and human urinary bladder cancer cells. In addition, strong stimulatory effect of this drug on mice blood granulocyte number and their metabolic activity was observed.

  9. 9/11/01 TITLE: [Studies on the genotoxic effects of crude liver oils from 3 species of Mediterranean sharks by means of in vitro micronucleus test using human lymphocytes] SOURCE: Ann Biol Clin (Paris); 58(5):595-600 2000 UI: 20477789 AUTHOR: Bartfai E, Orsiere T, Duffaud F, Villani P, Pompili J, Botta A Lymphoid system tumours have been identified in two subjects who used to handle for several years mediterranean shark liver oil and squalen extracted from this oil. Moreover, scientific data, reported in 1959 by Kroning, show the induction of lymphoid tumours in C57 B1 mice after exposure of their skin to squalen. These observations rose the question of a possible mutagenic power of shark liver oil. The results of this experimental study show that the crude liver oils of three species of sharks are genotoxic and confirm a high carcinogenic risk.

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