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Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:28 am
by cheerleader
pairOdime wrote:Thanks Cheer...research continues to support the vascular connection and the importance of blood flow.
Here is a presentation by Dr. Richard Weller discussing the link between sun exposure and nitric oxide release.

THANK YOU for this Ted talk, pair. Fabulous!!!! (He's got the same pick of the nitric oxide Nobel winners I use in my presentations on endothelial health.) What an intelligent and well-explained talk. I would love to connect Dr. Weller with Dr. Cooke at Stanford--will work on this. I do believe endothelial health is the future of health care for chronic diseases.

Stores of nitrates in our skin are released by UV rays--and are more stable than simple NO, which is a gas. The difference in quality of these stores is determined by our diet---nutrition from leafy green vegetables as opposed to processed hot dogs is why we recommend some forms of dietary nitrates over others. It's not the nitrates in processed meats that are bad for you--it's the salt and fat. Also, when sodium nitrate is used as a curing agent, it turns into sodium nitrite, which depletes O2 in our cells. This is why it's better to choose kale over bologna.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28495 ... m-nitrite/

But there are many, many ways to increase NO. Meditation, laughter, deep breathing, vitamin B12, sunshine, exercise...all release NO. To learn more about how to increase nitric oxide naturally and maintain endothelial health, I put together this program based on Dr. John Cooke's book The Cardiovascular Cure.
http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/helping- ... ial-health

we live near Ventura (the town used in Dr. Weller's presentation) and Jeff gets his rays everyday. It's made a huge difference in his health, but he had severe heat intolerence before venoplasty, and used to avoid the sun. I do believe this becomes a viscious cycle for those with MS. The sun's heat causes problems, and they miss out on its benefits in NO and vitamin D production.

Thanks again for the Ted talk!
cheer

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:43 pm
by 1eye
I have severe heat intolerance too. But I was discharged from public health nursing care after three sun-baths on my feet, where I had venous ulcers since last October. I have had 2 sun-baths since (because it's June). My intention is to use sun exposure to reduce my heat intolerance. Heat (infra-red) is very high wavelength (low radiant energy) by itself, and will not help by itself.

The three big factors spoken of, that may cause "MS'-like disease, are Heredity, Germs and Environment. I believe (a lot of my beliefs are based on the lack of other options that comes with having an "MS"-like disease) that Heredity can be overcome by epigenetic effects, but we are far from crossing that hurdle, and it may never be within our control.

There has to have been some heredity involved. Maybe Faroe Islands people get more sun, somehow, but I think it's more likely that visitors from the UK brought genes that were less protective, or had more problems. I also think over the millennia genes affected by too little sun will aggregate.

Germs (some, anyway) are killed by direct sun exposure. Others are killed by a healthy immune system in healthy enough, young enough people who have not had their immune systems suppressed or killed by chemical exposure.

Environment: sunlight both causes vitamin D production and nitric oxide release. Shortage of sunlight being implicated in all three "factors", a way forward seems clear.

I like Occam's razor. The easiest (Occam^2?) application of it I have heard of lately, is nitric oxide. Both components are together the 2 most common and oldest gases we breathe. The nitrogen and oxygen in your next breath could have been in Jesus Christ's, Noah's, and a Brontosaurus's lungs. The wonder to me is not that three guys won the Nobel, but that it wasn't elucidated before the 1990s.

NO is also tops on one hand in chemical reactivity (oxygen), and in chemical inertia on the other (nitrogen). Comparing these even to monoclonal antibodies is a cakewalk using Occam.

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 6:11 pm
by Cece
1eye wrote:Comparing these even to monoclonal antibodies is a cakewalk using Occam.
Makes sense to me.
Maybe Faroe Islands people get more sun, somehow, but I think it's more likely that visitors from the UK brought genes that were less protective, or had more problems.
I think the whole Faroe Island connection is a red herring. Dr. Poser explained it here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3194042
Recently too I read in Medpage that black Americans had a significantly higher rate of MS that white Americans. It used to be the opposite that was considered to be true.
Here we go, I found the original source: http://www.neurology.org/content/80/19/1734
If black people have higher rates of MS than Caucasians, then that bolsters the sunlight theory?

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:06 pm
by 1eye
Black (these folks are not really, but certainly closer to it than us pinks) is also a red herring, so to say. The colour, anyway. It theoretically absorbs all frequencies of light, and reflects none. In skin at UV frequencies, it will have some effect, but certainly Caucasian skin reflects more. The UV energy has to be absorbed, not reflected. If they get less MS at the equator, where genes of some darker-skinned people come from, maybe dark pigment could be helping the UV/NO process. I don't know, and it sounds like science is unsure, or has done a flip-flop, anyway.

The Faroe Islands: I am unaware of details. That there has been controversy, I believe. "Doubtful biological significance": I believe that too, and to me it is far less certain than the effects of UV on skin.

My skin is fair and not tough, but you are reading the ghostly writing of an Internet floobydust anecdote. A sample of one, who has benefited far more from angioplasty than sunlight, so far, but who has suddenly gained a keen interest in UV. Old, too. :-)

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:15 am
by 1eye
I had another thought about this which seemed worth sharing. Aside from the oxygen and glucose we use in great abundance, this is one of the most important chemicals in us. Look at it this way: in biology there are very few control systems, automatic or not, that have a range of action that includes the 4th power of a major control variable, as in the diameter of blood vessels.

This level of power is not even within our conscious control. Evolution has made it automatic, possibly because it is so powerful we would otherwise be in too much danger. It is left to our internal chemistry and the unconscious expansion and dilation of our vessels via their smooth muscle layers.

One of, if not the most powerful vasodilators we know about, has only been in our grasp since the 1990s! Nitric oxide. The sun is a major source of the UV energy which releases this chemical, and that fact has only been known in the last very short while. With the possible exceptions of mostly naked beach-dwellers, and naturists, we wear clothes (not our natural inclination unless we live in cold), which prevent this action when they are too thick or dark. People who live in hot climes often wear white, which is cool, but possibly may also allow more UV to get to their skin.

Nitric oxide, unfortunately also called NO, as we know from all Ms. Beal has shared with us, is stored in our skin only if we eat the right food.

I think these facts have health implications which are enormous, from heart health to the nature of cancer, to who-knows what-all. The implications of not knowing about it are similarly enormous. Our scientists and doctors should all be aware, be talking about it to each other and to us. We should be advised by every doctor we see. There should be public service spots on TV and the Internet about it. Our kids should be learning about it in primary and high school.

It should be emblazoned on the front pages of newspapers.

Stored food + Sunlight => NO => vasodilation => temperature and chemistry control ++ , flow++, energy++, pain-- !!!

There may also be problems caused by sudden or too much release of NO, for all I know. Certainly my doctor refused to prescribe a vasodilator because combined with my nitroglycerine puffer it lead to too much liability on her, due to potential heart failure from low blood pressure! We must get with this program! Can too much sun lead to heart attacks? Not if you stay away from the right foods?

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:36 am
by pairOdime
From Dr. Richard Weller's earlier work...prior to the paper published this year.

Eur Heart J. 2010 May;31(9):1041-5. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq069. Epub 2010 Mar 9.
Feelisch M, Kolb-Bachofen V, Liu D, Lundberg JO, Revelo LP, Suschek CV, Weller RB.
PMID: 20215123

http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/con ... /1041.long
The magnitude and breadth of nitrite-induced changes to the cytosolic and mitochondrial cardiac proteome is rather surprising and includes enzymes involved in metabolism, energy production, redox regulation, contractile function, and serine/threonine kinase signaling33 as well as effects on complex I of the respiratory chain.34 Some alterations are reminiscent of ischaemic preconditioning and consistent with a cardioprotective phenotype, although the overall complexity of changes observed suggest involvement of additional mechanisms. To this end, nitrite has recently been shown to affect T- cell function and cytokine release,35 raising the possibility that it may also affect inflammatory processes. Effects of nitrite and nitroso products on inflammation and immune cell function would be of obvious significance for CVD, and a systemic increase in circulating nitrite following whole body exposure to UVR may account for the well-known effects of sunlight on the immune system. The situation is likely to be even more complex as both, melatonin and vitamin D, are known to affect the formation and availability of NO at multiple levels, providing ample opportunity for cross-talk between these pathways. Although nitrite would seem to be a likely source and nitroso species possible mediators of the effects of sunlight on blood pressure, the processes conferring cardioprotection may well involve additional metabolic pathways and signalling processes. Which NO metabolite ultimately accounts for what biological effect is currently unclear and elucidation of the pathways involved in local and systemic responses to sunlight will require further investigation. Nevertheless, it would appear that enhancing the availability of NO-related metabolites by sunlight has the potential to confer cardiovascular protective effects not afforded by other mediators typically associated with exposure to sunlight. Some of the effects described here may not be limited to the heart but provide benefit for other organ systems as well (Figure 3).

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:21 am
by pairOdime
This is an abstract from 2013.....
D Liu,1 BO Fernandez,3 NN Lang,2 JM Gallagher,4 DE Newby,2 M Feelisch3 and RB Weller1,5 1Dermatology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2Cardiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 3Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom, 4Leithmount Surgery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom and 5Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) correlates with latitude and rises in winter. Population vitamin D levels inversely correlate with CVD, but oral supplementation does not alter CVD rates. Skin contains large stores of nitrite(NO2) and nitrate(NO3). Nitrate is biologically inert, but can be photo-reduced to active NO2 and nitric oxide (NO). The dermal vasculature enables rapid systemic dispersal of NO2 and NO.We hypothesised that ultraviolet A (UVA) mobilises NO bioactivity from skin to circulation to exert beneficial cardiovascular effects. Vit’ D is a marker for sunlight exposure. 24 healthy volunteers were sham (temp’ control) irradiated then actively irradiated with 20 J/cm2 UVA. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) fell and heart rate rose during active but not sham irrad’n (3.50±0.73 mmHg vs 2.80±0.98). The MAP fall was sustained for 50 mins in the active group only. Temperature rise was the same in both groups. Circulatory nitrite rose (0.50±0.04 μM to 0.72±0.04 μM p<0.001) and nitrate fell (11.79± 0.64 μM to 8.99±0.40 μM (p<0.001)) during active, but not sham irradiation. There was no change in circulating vitamin D levels. 12 volunteers had forearm blood flow (FBF) measured by venous plethysmography while 8 μmol/min of the NOS antagonist L-NMMA was infused to the brachial artery. FBF rose during active but not sham irradiation (23.7±6.5 % over baseline vs no change p<.0002). Physiological levels of UVA irradiation cause systemic vasodilation and lower BP in a vitamin D and NOS independent manner. Deaths from CVD and stroke are 60 to 100 times higher than from skin cancers in northern Europe. This study provides a mechanistic explanation for the inverse correlation between sunlight exposure and CVD mortality. Sunlight has beneficial effects independently of vitamin D synthesis.

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:50 pm
by 1eye
I'll say this again, because the last time I think it seemed like a commercial so somebody 'disappeared' it:

I have had some great results on both my hands and feet using a low-voltage electro-stimulating device. My foot and hand circulation has improved a lot. I expect my days of lesions on ankles and feet are behind me.

This relates back to the discussion of nitric oxide because I said I was taking sun-baths with some success. I still do, if I get a chance, but electrons work, dare I say, better?

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:39 am
by ThisIsMA
http://www.researchgate.net/publication ... vitamin-D3

I found this study comparing the affects of various types of UV exposure on vitamin D levels. Interestingly they found that UVA1 reduces vitamin D levels. Unfortunately it looks like they didn't test for NO levels. Since we evolved in nature, I would guess (though I don't know) that exposure to light that most closely approximates sunlight in gradually increasing doses (replicating the arrival of Spring) and in moderation, might be best.
Phototherapy with UVB narrowband, UVA/UVBnb, and UVA1 differentially impacts serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3.

Laurence Feldmeyer, Golnar Shojaati, Katharina-Susanne Spanaus, Alexander Navarini, Barbara Theler, Davide Donghi, Mirjana Urosevic-Maiwald, Martin Glatz, Laurence Imhof, Marjam J Barysch, Reinhard Dummer, Malgorzata Roos, Lars E French, Christian Surber, Günther F L Hofbauer
[more]
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: .
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (impact factor: 3.99). 07/2013; DOI:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.04.058
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Ultraviolet (UV) B radiation increases serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 [25(OH)D], but the influence of UVA1 and UVA/narrowband UVB (UVBnb) phototherapy on serum vitamin D is unknown.
We sought to investigate the influence of UVBnb, UVA1, and UVA/UVBnb phototherapy on serum levels of 25(OH)D and related parameters in patients with an inflammatory skin condition.
25(OH)D, as well as calcium, parathormone, phosphate, and albumin were measured before therapy, 2 weeks after start, and after completion of the phototherapy. Diagnoses were divided in 4 groups: atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, morphea, and others.
We surveyed 116 dermatologic patients undergoing phototherapy with UVA1 (n = 38), UVA/UVBnb (n = 30), or UVBnb (n = 48) 2 to 3 times a week for 53 to 90 days. UVBnb phototherapy increased serum 25(OH)D from 22.1 to 39.5 ng/mL after the therapy (P < .001). The lower the baseline 25(OH)D level was, the steeper the increase in 25(OH)D was upon application of UVBnb phototherapy. UVA/UVBnb therapy also increased serum 25(OH)D, from 23.9 to 50.3 ng/mL (P = .003). Conversely, in the UVA1 therapy group, 25(OH)D serum levels decreased significantly from 21.9 to 19.0 ng/mL (P < .001).
The study design was open trial without randomization. An influence of a precise skin disease cannot be excluded because of the heterogeneous diagnoses. Bias may have arisen from patient preference for treatment at our center, referral, unrecognized differences in underlying skin disease, and other factors.
Phototherapy with UVBnb and UVA/UVBnb increased 25(OH)D serum level significantly. UVA1 therapy alone induced a reduction in serum 25(OH)D concentrations.

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:24 am
by 1eye
OK this says what we already knew about the benefits of sun exposure, at least as far as Vitamin D is concerned. What it is also saying is that, barring a lot of complicated factors, UVa will actually decrease your Vitamin D levels, exactly the opposite of what Richard Weller said. I think both studies suffer from the limitation that sun exposure levels are not accounted for. The radiation was in addition to whatever exposure the subjects got naturally, which could vary wildly depending on location (I doubt they were both at the same latitude) and time of year of the study, depending again on latitude (it's getting darker earlier here) and how many clothes they were used to wearing.

I think the take-away is still the same: sun-simulating exposure, with a broad spectrum, is best for both vitamin D levels and nitric oxide release (assuming you eat right). Does anyone know of a good sunlamp that's not as costly as a tanning bed? It's starting to get dark earlier around here at this time of year. It helps prevent S.A.D.D. too.

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:04 am
by therooster
Is this thread now finished ? Anybody here ? Was curious to know if there's been any use of Nitric oxide precursors within the participants and what that was like ?

Re: Sun exposure promotes nitric oxide release

Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:28 pm
by cheerleader
Hey Rooster---
Never finished :) Firm believer in the healing power of nitric oxide and endothelial health right here!
Here's the program I created for my husband in 2008---all based on the science available at that time, including research of Dr. John Cooke from Stanford University and his book The Cardiovascular Cure. It includes several ways to increase endothelial derived NO. I follow Dr. Cooke's advice, and do not suggest supplemental precursors for NO, but use lifestyle, nutrition and exercise modifications.
http://ccsvi.org/index.php/helping-myse ... ial-health

Dr. Weller's discovery of how the skin releases NO in UV rays is new and exciting, and even more reason to get your rays.

I'm a firm believer in the vascular connection to MS. Have seen it at work in my husband, and although his case is anecdotal, he's now 8 years past an MS diagnosis and doing really, really well. No MS progression, still really active and working. Here's more from my blog.
http://ccsviinms.blogspot.com
Hope the info is helpful!

cheer/Joan