Fruit flies might help addiction research
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Swedish scientists say they've shown fruit flies, already used in human disease research, might be helpful in studying the effects of drug abuse on the brain.
Andrew Ewing and colleagues at Sweden's University of Gothenburg say laboratory mice, rats and monkeys have been mainstays in research with the goal of finding effective medicines for treating addiction. Although those mammals have helped establish the behavioral effects of cocaine on the body, the scientists said they provide relatively complicated models to study the effects of cocaine and other illicit drugs on the brain and nerves.
In the new study, the scientists gave such drugs as cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and methylphenidate to fruit flies and then studied the flies' brain chemistry with a microelectrode 1/20 the diameter of a human hair.
The results, said the researchers, demonstrate fruit flies are a valid model for studying drug addiction in humans.
The study appeared in the Oct. 26 online edition of the journal Chemical Neuroscience.
Marijuana helps reduce MS symptoms
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Marijuana may reduce spasticity -- involuntary muscle contractions -- in multiple sclerosis patients, U.S. researchers said.
The systematic review of six randomized, controlled trials, published in Neurology, found five of the trials reported a reduction in spasticity and an improvement in mobility.
Researchers Shaheen Lakhan and Marie Rowland of the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation in Los Angeles said they looked for trials evaluating two marijuana extracts -- delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol -- THC -- and cannabidiol -- CBD.
"We found evidence that combined THC and CBD extracts may provide therapeutic benefit for MS spasticity symptoms," Lakhan said in a statement. "The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in MS is comprehensive and should be given considerable attention."
The researchers said reported incidence of marijuana side effects -- such as intoxication -- varied greatly depending on the amount of marijuana needed to effectively limit spasticity. However, the researchers noted side effects were also seen in the placebo groups.
Old book smell indicates its condition
LONDON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- British scientists say they've discovered the musty odor produced by old books can be used to assess the book's condition and help preserve it.
Researchers from University College London, led by Matija Strlic, say they've developed a test that can measure the degradation of old books and historical documents based on their smell. The non-destructive "sniff" test could help libraries and museums preserve a range of prized paper-based objects, some of which are degrading rapidly due to advancing age, the scientists said.
Strlic said the musty smell of an old book is the result of hundreds of so-called volatile organic compounds released into the air from the paper. The substances, the scientists said, hold clues to the paper's condition. The new technique, called "material degradomics," analyzes the gases emitted by old books and documents without altering the documents themselves, unlike conventional testing.
The research is detailed in the journal Analytical Chemistry.
Study: Fruit flies turn obese as do humans
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- University of Utah geneticists say they've discovered fruit flies use the same molecular systems as do humans to maintain good cholesterol and fat levels.
Researchers led in two studies by Professor Carl Thummel say the finding means fruit flies can help science learn more about genetic and biological processes through which people regulate cholesterol and fat metabolism.
The scientists said they identified a nuclear receptor, DHR96, which helps fruit flies regulate the balance, or homeostasis, of cholesterol and another fat molecule called triacylglycerol. Nuclear receptors are proteins that sense the presence of chemical compounds within cells. DHR96 corresponds closely to a human nuclear receptor called LXR that also regulates cholesterol levels.
In one study, the scientists showed DHR96 helps regulate cholesterol in fruit flies by allowing DNA to be read, which switches genes on and off to help maintain proper levels of cholesterol.
"When they lacked the DHR96 receptor, the flies were unable to maintain cholesterol homeostasis," Thummel said. "This is similar to what happens in humans who have high cholesterol levels."
The scientists found DHR96 also plays an integral role in regulating dietary fat metabolism.
The cholesterol study appears in the journal Genes & Development, while the metabolism research is reported in the journal Cell Metabolism.
